Rare Earths: From "Soil" to Strategic "Treasure"

Rare Earths: The Neglected "Industrial Vitamins"

The name "rare earths" is quite misleading. In fact, they are not "rare" and have considerable reserves worldwide. They are a general term for 17 metallic chemical elements such as scandium and yttrium, which often coexist in ores, making separation and purification extremely difficult. Because they are used in small amounts in industrial production but can play a key role, just like vitamins are indispensable to human health, they are known as "industrial vitamins".

For a long time, the value of rare earths was not fully recognized, and their application fields were relatively limited, mainly concentrated in traditional industries such as metallurgy, glass and ceramics. They acted as auxiliary roles in improving material performance, working silently on the edge of the stage like supporting actors, rarely attracting attention.

The Highlight of Value Under the Tide of Science and Technology

With the rapid development of science and technology, especially entering the 21st century, high - tech industries such as new energy, electronic information, aerospace have sprung up, and rare earths have ushered in a turning point in their fate.

In new energy vehicles, rare earth permanent magnets are core for drive motors; Tesla uses ample neodymium-iron-boron ones to boost efficiency, power density and range. In wind power, rare earth permanent magnet direct-drive generators, efficient and stable, are top choice for large turbines, aiding clean energy adoption.

In the electronic information industry, rare earth elements are widely used in products such as chip manufacturing, light - emitting diodes (LEDs), and smart phones. For example, rare earth elements such as europium and terbium are used to make phosphors, making LED displays show more vivid and realistic colors; rare earth elements such as lanthanum and cerium are used for semiconductor polishing, which greatly improves the precision and yield rate of chip manufacturing.

In the aerospace field, rare earths are even more indispensable. Rare earth alloys are used to manufacture key components such as aircraft engines and landing gear, which effectively reduce the weight of the components and improve the performance and fuel efficiency of the aircraft. At the same time, rare earth permanent magnet materials also play an important role in satellite attitude control and communication systems, ensuring that satellites operate stably in the vast universe and achieve accurate communication.

Global Scramble: A New Era of Resource Game

The key position of rare earths in high - tech industries has made them move from behind the scenes to the front stage, becoming a strategic resource competed by countries around the world.

China, as the world's largest country with rare earth resources and production, occupies a pivotal position in the global rare earth market. China is rich in rare earth reserves and has a complete range of mineral species, especially the reserves of medium and heavy rare earths account for more than 80% of the world's total. For a long time, China has supplied a large number of rare earths to the world at a low price, providing strong support for the development of the global high - tech industry. However, this development model, which over - relies on exports and ignores resource protection and industrial upgrading, has led to many problems in China's rare earth industry, such as over - exploitation of resources, serious environmental pollution, low added value of products, and lack of pricing power.

In the face of China's policy adjustments, other countries have also taken actions one after another. The United States has been committed to diversifying rare earth supplies and increasing efforts to explore and develop domestic rare earth mines, such as the Mountain Pass Mine in California. However, the U.S. rare earth industry is facing many problems. The backend smelting and separation processes are seriously lagging behind, and the opposition from environmental organizations has also hindered the mining process. Although Lynas Mine in Australia is highly expected by the West, its production capacity is limited, and it mainly produces light rare earths, which is difficult to meet the global urgent demand for medium and heavy rare earths.

The Road Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges Coexist

Rare earths, now a focus of global resource rivalry with rising strategic clout, have gone from neglected minerals to key industrial resources, their rise mirroring tech-driven value shifts. Future tech advances will widen their use in emerging fields, yet challenges like sustainability, innovation, and global competition persist. Balancing cooperation and rivalry is vital for their healthy growth. Mastery of core tech and supply security will determine future dominance in this "smokeless war".