What’s ‘rare’ about rare earths?

 Dear reader, though you would surely know our dear mother earth, and what we get from it, but have you ever wondered and brooded ‘what is rare about rare earth?’ God Almighty has abundantly blessed us with vast unmeasured millions and millions of plains of earth that sustain trillions of people in every possible way…providing water, food, and so much more, but we’ve scarcely heard of ‘rare earths.’

Well, here’s what thousands of earth scientists and geographers tell us about the precious rare earths hidden in the gigantic womb of our dear earth hides.

Rare earths are approximately a group of 17 chemical elements with unique properties that make them critical for various high-tech applications. Here’s what’s ‘rare’ about them: as per AI-generated response.

Unique Properties:

1.Magnetic properties: Some rare earths, like neodymium and dysprosium, have strong magnetic properties, making them essential for electric motors, generators and wind turbines.

2. Optical properties: Rare earths like europium and terbium are used in phosphors for lighting and display technologies.
3. Catalytic properties: Cerium and other rare earths are used as catalysts in petroleum refining and automobile catalytic converters.

However, these types of rare earths are not easily available; there are numerous challenges in extracting them from the (mother) earth and processing them for use. Some of these challenges include:

1. Geological scarcity: Rare earths are relatively rare in the Earth’s crust, making extraction challenging.
2. Complex processing: Extraction and processing rare earths requeue complex and costly procedures. 3. Environmental Concerns: Mining and processing rare earths can have significant environmental consequences.

But due to their excessive use, their demands are abounding for:

1. Clean energy technologies where rare earths are essential for wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles.
2. High-tech applications: Rare earths are used in various high-tech applications for manufacturing smart phones, displays and advanced ceramics.
3. Defence applications where rare earths are used in advanced military technologies, such as precision-guided munitions and radar systems.

In India, many advanced technologies are being yoked in large number for unexplored electronic and surgical processes, defence and in enormously fast developing operations in private sector industries. The unique properties and challenges associated with rare earths make them critical component in many modern technologies.

It’s extremely urgent that the union ministry of science and technology and earth sciences explore the number of rare earths reserves India possesses, and install mining, production and processing. The issue was recently raised in the Lok Sabha by Congress member Manish Tewari who also urged the government to be aware that 90% of the global rare earths production comes from China. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that ‘the principal ore of rare earth in India is BSM sand within which a prescribed substance monazite occurs which is a phosphate compound of uranium, thorium and rare earth. In the BSM source, the availability of rare earth is reported to be 0.056-0.058% in the form of rare earth oxide (REO). As per the US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, 202, the reported rare earth in India is 6.9 million tons.’

‘The annual installed mining, production and processing capacities are: mining 10 million tons; processing capacity in terms of rare earth concentrate: 11,200 tons; refining capacity in terms of total rare earth oxide (TREO) 5,000 tons; rare earth concentrate production 5040 tons; refining in terms of TREO 2,000 tons – both government and private sector.’

The rare earth resources in India are the fifth largest in the world. Indian resource is significantly less with reference to grade, and it is tied with radioactivity making the extraction long, complex and expensive. In comparison to China, Indian resources are significantly lean.’

However, the large, rare-earth element (LREE) produced in India are surplus; the import of other varieties is in minuscule quantities… dependence on China for the entire range of rare earths is in minuscule quantities, as per the minister’s statement in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the international requirement for all types of rare earths is said to be in millions of tons. The US is believed to be frontrunner in this regard; and Washington’s main interest in keeping a hold on Ukraine is due to Kyiv’s rich deposits of all varieties of rare earths. The US President Donald Trump is on record having stated that he ‘wants to strike a deal with Ukraine whereby Kyiv would supply the US with rare earth minerals in exchange for American aid, offering the clearest sign of his transactional approach to supporting the war-torn nation. We are looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things… We want a guarantee.’---- The New York Times, February 5, 2025.

It’s also a fact that it is extremely rich in earth minerals … crucial for manufacturing a broad range of modern products including electric car motors and wind turbines…. Trump offers ‘to trade aid for rare earth minerals aligns with the transactional foreign policy he has pursued since returning to office.’ However, it’s believed that Russia has already seized some of Ukraine’s significant reserves of rare earth minerals.

But unfortunately, even after more than six months when Trump made this statement there’s little change in the state of Moscow’s hold on Ukrainian territories.

 (With input from Prof. B.K. Kuthiala, Ex-VC and former chairperson of Haryana Higher Education Council, Chandigarh.)

1. R. Dua, former professor-head, journalism department, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, and an ex-faculty Journalism, California State University, US.