Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements in the periodic table: the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. Despite the name, they are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust but are rarely found in concentrated, economically viable deposits, which makes mining and processing difficult and expensive.
List of Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
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Light REEs (LREEs): Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Samarium, etc.
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Heavy REEs (HREEs): Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, Lutetium
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Scandium and Yttrium are also included due to similar properties.
Uses in the Auto Industry
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Electric Vehicles (EVs) & Hybrid Cars:
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Neodymium, Praseodymium, Dysprosium: Used in permanent magnets for electric motors, especially in neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets.
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These magnets are lighter, more efficient, and more powerful, crucial for EV range and performance.
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Catalytic Converters:
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Cerium: Acts as a catalyst to reduce emissions in both gasoline and diesel engines.
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Batteries:
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Lanthanum: Used in nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (e.g., in hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius).
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Polishing and Glass:
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Cerium oxide is used for polishing glass components in windshields and head-up displays.
Uses in the Military Industry
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Precision-Guided Weapons:
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Neodymium, Samarium, Dysprosium: Used in high-performance magnets for guidance systems, radar, and control fins.
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Jet Engines and Turbines:
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Yttrium and Gadolinium: Used in heat-resistant alloys for high-temperature components.
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Radar and Communication Systems:
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Europium and Terbium: Critical for phosphors in radar screens, night-vision goggles, and other display technologies.
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Satellites and Missile Systems:
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High-strength, lightweight magnets and alloys from REEs are vital for navigation, targeting, and propulsion systems.
Strategic Importance
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REEs are considered critical minerals because of their essential role in both green technologies (like EVs) and defense systems.
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China dominates the global supply of rare earths (over 80% of processing), leading to geopolitical concerns for countries like the U.S., EU, and Japan.
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Efforts are underway globally to develop alternative sources, recycling methods, and substitutes.
什麼是稀土元素？
稀土指的是17種金屬元素，包括15種鑭系元素，以及釔（Y）和鈧（Sc）。它們在地殼中儘管不算非常稀少，但因為分布分散、提煉困難，因此被稱為「稀土」。
汽車產業用途
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電動車與混合動力車：釹（Nd）、鐠（Pr）、鏑（Dy）等稀土用於高性能永磁馬達，提升車輛效率與續航力。
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觸媒轉化器：鋈（Ce）能幫助汽車排氣淨化，減少污染。
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電池技術：鑭（La）應用於鎳氫電池（NiMH），如豐田Prius所用。
軍事產業用途
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精準導引武器：高性能磁鐵（含釹、釤、鏑）用於飛彈導引、雷達與控制系統。
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噴射引擎與渦輪：釔（Y）、鈰（Ce）等可製成高溫合金材料。
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雷達與通訊系統：鋱（Tb）、銪（Eu）等稀土元素用於夜視鏡、雷達顯示螢幕與衛星設備。
地緣政治重要性
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全球90%以上稀土供應來自中國，使其成為戰略資源。
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美國、歐盟、日本等國正積極尋求替代來源與回收技術。
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