Rare Earth Minerals

Why in news?

• Experts are predicting that China’s dominance in production of rare earth minerals will continue to be a cause for concern in the face of increasing US-China Tensions.

About rare earth metals:

• The rare-earth elements, also called the rare-earth metals, or the lanthanides  are a set of 17 nearly indistinguishable lustrous silvery-white soft heavy metals.
• Apart from Lanthanides, Scandium and yttrium are also considered rare-earth elements because they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and exhibit similar chemical properties, but have different electronic and magnetic properties.
• These elements and their compounds have no known biological function. The water-soluble compounds are mildly to moderately toxic, but the insoluble ones are not.
• The rare earths have diverse applications in electrical and electronic components, lasers, glass, magnetic materials, and industrial processes, but since they do not occur as base metals or in lump or visible quantities like iron or aluminum, their names and properties are unfamiliar in everyday life.
• Despite their name, rare-earth elements are relatively plentiful in Earth's crust.
• Because of their geochemical properties, rare-earth elements are typically dispersed and not often found concentrated in rare-earth minerals. Consequently, economically exploitable ore deposits are sparse (i.e. "rare").
• In 2017, China produced 81% of the world's rare-earth supply, mostly in Inner Mongolia,  although it had only 36.7% of reserves.
• Australia was the second and only other major producer with 15% of world production.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements regarding Rare Earth Minerals:
1.China is the top producer of these minerals.
2.Economically exploitable ore deposits of the minerals are rare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question