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Rare earth elements are a collection of seventeen chemical elements found in the periodic table together. The 15 lanthanide elements, as well as yttrium, make up the group (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium). Scandium is a rare earth element that may be found in most rare earth mineral formations.
Read More: Reverberatory Furnace
Key Terms: Rare Earth Elements, Periodic Table, Occurrence, Lanthanides, Actinides, Elements, Scandium, Isotope
Occurrence and Abundance of Rare Earth Elements
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These 16 rare earth elements are in the 50th percentile of natural occurrence among the 83 elements that occur naturally. Promethium, a radioactive element with the most stable isotope with a half-life of 17.7 years, is not thought to occur naturally, though traces of the element have been found in ores.
Rare Earth Elements in Periodic Table
Cesium is the most prevalent rare earth element, ranked 28th, while Thulium is the least abundant, ranked 83rd. Lighter lanthanides are more abundant than heavy lanthanides, as has been seen over time. Though rare earth elements are found all over the world, the highest concentrations may be found in China, the United States, Australia, and Russia, as well as Canada, India, South Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Read More: Classification of Elements and Periodicity
Properties of Rare Earth Elements
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All the rare earth elements are metals, and the group is known as "rare earth metals." Because these metals have so many similar qualities, they are frequently discovered together in geologic deposits. Because many of them are traded as oxide compounds, they're also known as "rare earth oxides."
- Silver, silvery-white, or gray metals are used.
- They have a lot of similar characteristics, making it difficult to tell them apart.
- Non-metals in the third oxidation state (3+) are discovered with rare earth metals. These metals have a very low proclivity for exhibiting multiple oxidation states. Europium a, which has a valency of 2+, and Cerium, which has a valency of 4+, are the only exceptions.
- Rare earth metals are found in nature combined with minerals. Monazite, for instance, is a mixed rare earth phosphate.
- They have a high luster but tarnish quickly when exposed to air.
- Electrical conductivity is high in metals.
Read More: First 20 Elements in the Periodic Table
Uses of Rare Earth Elements
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Rare earth elements and alloys containing them are utilized in a variety of everyday technologies, including computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lights, and many more.
- Rare earth compounds are used in a lot of rechargeable batteries. Pocket electronic gadgets such as cell phones, readers, portable laptops, and cameras are driving demand for batteries.
- Many things that require rare earth metals have seen a surge in demand during the last two decades. Only a few people owned a cell phone twenty years ago, but today, over 5 billion people own one. Rare earth elements are used in computers at a rate that rivals that of cell phones.
- Every electric vehicle and hybrid-electric vehicle has many pounds of rare earth compounds in their batteries. The need for rare earth compound batteries will rise even quicker as worries about energy independence, climate change, and other issues drive the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Uses of Rare Earth Elements
- Catalysts, phosphors, and polishing compounds are all made from rare earth. These are employed in air pollution control, electronic device lighted screens, and optical-quality glass polishing. Demand for all of these items is likely to increase.
- Other compounds can be used in place of rare earth elements in their most essential applications, but they are usually less effective and more expensive.
- Rare earth elements are critical to our national security. Night vision goggles, precision-guided weapons, communications systems, GPS equipment, batteries, and other defense technologies are all used by the military. These provide a significant advantage to the US military. Rare earth metals are essential components in the production of ultra-hard alloys used in armored vehicles and projectiles that shatter on impact.
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Things to Remember
- Rare earth elements, often known as lanthanides, are the elements that make up the top extended row of the periodic table, below the main body.
- The rare earth metals range from Cerium (Ce) to Lutetium (Lu).
- In nature, rare earth metals are mainly trivalent, however, a few lanthanides can have varying valencies.
- In order to lower India's energy burden, rare earth minerals are critical. It is used to make hybrid cars, fuel cells, and LEDs.
- It's a must-have in the production of cutting-edge defense technology.
Sample Questions
Ques. Which country possesses the rarest minerals on the planet? (3 Marks)
Ans. At 44 million metric tonnes, China contains the rarest Earth minerals (MT). The next greatest reserves of Rare Earth Minerals are 22 million MT in Brazil and Vietnam. Rare Earth Minerals are found in 12 million MT in Russia and 6.9 million MT in India. Australia (3.4 million MT) and the United States are the other two countries with significant Rare Earth Mineral reserves (1.4 million MT).
Ques. What makes Rare Earth metals so rare? (2 Marks)
Ans. Rare earth metals are not uncommon in the planet's crust, but they are referred to as rare for another simultaneous reason. Because of the difficulty in extracting metals from ore, these metals are referred to as rare. Rare earth elements are rarely found in their pure form. The costs of extracting rare earth metals are extremely high.
Ques. What is the world's rarest element? (2 Marks)
Ans. Astatine is the earth's crust's rarest naturally occurring element. Astatine is a chemical element with the symbol At and the atomic number 85.
Ques. Is It True That These Elements Are "Rare"? (3 Marks)
Ans. Uncommon earth elements aren't as rare as their name suggests. The rare earth elements thulium and lutetium are the least plentiful, yet their average crustal abundance is about 200 times that of gold [1]. These metals, on the other hand, are extremely difficult to mine since they are rarely found in high enough concentrations to be economically extracted. Cerium, yttrium, lanthanum, and neodymium [2] are the most common rare earth elements. They have crustal abundances that are similar to those of commonly used industrial metals as chromium, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and lead [1]. They're rarely discovered in concentrations that can be extracted.
Ques. What are some of the rare earth elements? (2 Marks)
Ans. Yttrium and the 15 lanthanide elements make up the group (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium).
Ques. What is the significance of rare earth? (2 Marks)
Ans. Rare-earth elements (REE) are required components in over 200 items from a variety of industries, including cellular phones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, and flat-screen monitors and televisions.
Ques. Will rare earth elements become scarce? (2 Marks)
Ans. Some rare earth minerals, which are essential in electronics, medical equipment, and renewable energy, may run out in less than a century. Rare earth minerals are unique natural resources that cannot be duplicated or reproduced. A few of them are only found in trace amounts in the Earth's crust.
Ques. What is the best way to utilize rare earth elements? (2 Marks)
Ans. REEs are utilized in high-tech gadgets such as smartphones, digital cameras, computer hard discs, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat-screen televisions, computer monitors, and electronic displays.
Ques. Is it true that rare earth metals are reactive? (2 Marks)
Ans. Rare earth metals have a high level of reactivity. Rare earth metals are quickly converted to rare earth oxide when exposed to air. As a result, rare earth storage and handling must be done in an inert environment or vacuum. Rare earth elements must be kept in inert organic solvents or vacuum-sealed cupboards.
Ques. What distinguishes rare earth elements from other elements in terms of their utility? (2 Marks)
Ans. Rare earth elements (atomic numbers 21, 39, and 57–71) are 17 metallic elements in the middle of the periodic table. These metals have remarkable luminous, conductive, and magnetic properties, making them extremely valuable when alloyed (or mixed) with more common metals like iron in small quantities.
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