Investing in the Future: The Power of Rare Earth Elements

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The 17 elements grouped under blue on the periodic table - from lanthanum to terbium - play vital roles in numerous industries including green technologies and high-powered magnets for electric car motors. Furthermore, their political application by China during trade negotiations has garnered them considerable media coverage.

1. The Future of Energy

Rare earth elements are an indispensable component of our energy future. From consumer electronics and defense technologies, to renewable energy systems and renewable power projects - rare earth elements play an indispensable role in shaping the way our energy future unfolds. Additionally, their use has helped prevent catastrophic climate collapse.

There are 17 rare earth elements on the periodic table, each one boasting unique fluorescent, conductive or magnetic properties that make them invaluable tools. When alloyed in small amounts with more commonly found metals such as iron, rare earths can accelerate chemical reactions while decreasing energy costs for their initiation.

As the world moves toward cleaner forms of energy, rare earth demand should increase. As people increasingly use electric vehicles and alternative energy systems, their use will increase dramatically - electrification using REEs such as neodymium and dysprosium to make magnets for electric vehicle batteries is anticipated; while wind turbines and generators manufactured using rare earths will drive demand; not to mention flat screen TVs, lasers, LED lights, computer chips.

"Rare earths" may be misleading in name only; these elements can be found globally and abundantly. Their discovery occurred in the 18th century as component parts of complex oxides and minerals classified as "earths," while since they have become the backbone of modern technologies like GPS navigation capability, cell phones, fiber optics, flat screen monitors, automobile engines and flat screen monitors - including each F-35 Lightning II aircraft needing approximately 920 pounds of rare earth materials including yttrium and terbium for proper operation.

China remains the primary producer of rare earths; however, other countries such as the US possess significant reserves and are actively working on building their mining and processing capabilities. Diversifying production has become more urgent as demand for emerging technologies creates investment opportunities for investors. New technologies that aim to reduce carbon dependence will require more efficient production methods that are both environmentally-friendly and cooperatively managed between private and public sectors.

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2. The Future of Transportation

As humans, we're always seeking better, faster ways to travel from point A to B. This applies both for passenger transportation as well as freight transportation, which will also experience new modes and technologies being deployed in order to facilitate an increase in efficiency and delivery speeds.

These modes and technologies may either be incremental or revolutionary in nature. Incremental modifications involve gradual improvements that lead to greater efficiency and capacity over time - this can manifest as improved fuel economy, greater capacity or reduced costs. Revolutionary changes involve significant and radical transformation.

Revolutionary changes involve the emergence of an entirely new mode or technology that replaces an older one and leads to significant cost, speed, and capacity increases over time. Such revolutionary shifts include commercial jet planes, high-speed trains, containers etc.

Rare earth elements play an essential role in both improving our current transport systems and developing alternative modes of travel, and creating entirely new methods. Take, for instance, consumer electronics like iPods and smartphones - their recent transformation being enabled only thanks to incredible miniaturization due to using neodymium iron boron permanent magnets; without these powerful yet tiny magnets we would likely never be enjoying the sound quality that headphones now provide us.

One reason the United States is making renewed efforts to regain a dominant role in rare earths supply is due to China producing over 85% of refined rare earths worldwide. China produces some 90% of refined rare earths for global distribution, leaving other players such as itself dependent on imports from others.

This issue is of vital significance to the US because of its potential to unleash a flood of technological improvements that could increase productivity and safety within global transportation sector. These advancements could range from fuel efficiency improvements in conventional cars to the creation of hypersonic passenger jets capable of traveling much faster than existing aircraft today - though its difficult to accurately anticipate their timing or magnitude of impact.

3. The Future of Medicine

Rare Earth elements play an essential role in modern technology. They're used in products we rely on every day like DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, fluorescent lighting fixtures and magnets - as well as mixed with other metals to add special characteristics such as conductivity or magnetism. Although rare by themselves, 17 of the most prominent rare earth minerals can actually be found in just a rock sample of gravel!

Due to our dependence, it is essential that we can guarantee continued availability of key materials like rare earth elements. As a result, several companies in the US are exploring methods for producing them independently from China - for instance by developing production methods for rare earths neodymium and dysprosium which are combined into permanent magnets; or by tapping alternative sources for rare earths such as coal mining operations' byproducts; nuclear power plant waste; thorium extracted from nuclear reactors to separate out rare earth elements separately.

Although rare earths are relatively abundant on Earth, they can be hard to locate and costly to extract. As they're mixed up with other metals in the ground, extraction requires complex processing steps in order to extract rare earths out. Furthermore, rare earths require large facilities with advanced technologies in order to be extracted efficiently.

As rare earths are so expensive, a single country's actions can easily influence their market by restricting exports or refusing access. China did just this to Japan in 2010 when they temporarily cut off supply; as a result, Toyota and Honda began producing hybrid car motors with significantly reduced rare earth content; other industries, like oil refineries stopped using rare earth elements terbium to improve efficiency in processes, and glassmakers switched materials that required less neodymium content in production processes.

US defense and industry partners require reliable long-term supplies of rare earths to keep up with global manufacturing needs, but that does not require sole reliance on Chinese suppliers. Businesses using these minerals can develop inventory stockpiles to address short-term supply shortages. Furthermore, they can prioritize using this material for critical applications like medical and military technologies while charging headphones or golf bag makers more.

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4. The Future of Technology

Many Americans expect technological innovations will have a positive influence on their lives; 59% are optimistic that scientific and technological innovations will make people's lives better. Some "futuristic" innovations such as teleportation or space colonization may require vast leaps in knowledge and engineering; however, other developments are closer than you think.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are essential ingredients in numerous emerging technologies, from permanent magnets and electric car magnets to rechargeable batteries and catalytic converters used in oil refinery equipment and nuclear applications.

REEs are well-known for their magnetic, phosphorescent and catalytic properties. They possess several advantages over other metals such as compact packaging sizes, lower melting points and superior corrosion resistance - these advantages have led to numerous new technologies as well as decreased manufacturing costs.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are essential to many emerging technologies, yet their supply is dwindling rapidly. Most rare earth elements mined are from China's mines; as part of its domestic market protection policies it imposes export restrictions that have caused global shortages of REEs to skyrocket, leading to price spikes and shortages worldwide.

As more consumers opt for hybrid-electric and electric vehicles, REE demand should increase significantly - creating the potential for REE mining companies to play an even larger part in shaping future technology.

REEs are not only powerful tools to drive innovative products forward; they're also an excellent way to diversify an investment portfolio. But investors should exercise caution when purchasing REE stocks; like any stock, REEs may experience price fluctuations and may prove unpredictable; for this reason it is wise to select an established REE company with proven growth history and track records of sustained expansion.