The Search for crucial Rare Earth Elements

Kingfish

Kingfish

100 MW
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China currently supplies as much as 97 percent of the world's rare earth oxides, but has recently taken steps to cut back on exports and feed the growing demands of its own industries.

New rare earth mines in the U.S., Australia, Canada and South Africa won't start up until at least 2014, based on industry estimates.
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The Game is afoot and the race is on.

Full Read

~KF
 
Given the previous post, then this:
China electric vehicles to hit 1 million by 2020: report

...and now this:

Amid Tension Over Rare Earth Supplies, Solutions Emerge

Firstly, let me state clearly that it's AFT governments took this issue seriously: Transportation is liberty, and it should not be constrained or controlled by one political entity.

The second part of the last link is intriguing:

...All of this added production could prove to be unnecessary though, if a government-backed team of engineers manage to succeed in the development of electric motors that don't rely on rare earth magnets to operate...
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I would be very keen to learn more about this technology. Ideas where to look? 8)
Best, KF
 
Kingfish said:
A little bit more digging…

http://caps.fool.com/blogs/the-future-of-material-and/447801
Sneak down to the heading: MCP – Molycorp Minerals and LYSCF.PK - Lynas Corp

Also http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-...develop-electric-motor-sans-rare-earth-metals

I am beginning to think they are working on a type of induction motor. What other kind of motor (presuming brushless) that doesn't rely on magnets could there be? :?

Curiously, KF
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switched reluctance :?:
 
Yeah, I just read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched_reluctance_motor

Same with my previous post; I'm not gruntled by it :|

I keep thinking cogging, noise, losses, weight, heat. Perhaps there are some clever waveforms employed which addresses these concerns.

~KF
 
Alternative analysis & persepective.
Q+A: Why the jitters about China's rare earths exports?

I profoundly advocate diversification and alternative markets of strategic resources. These endeavors should be supported to their fullest at every opportunity if we are to unlink ourselves from complacent profiteering.

~KF
 
Reuters reports today:
China rare earths exports double in November

Difficult to say whether this is inaccurate accounting or political pressure; if it keeps the prices down my right hand shall not complain as my left hand proactively locates alternative sources.

In flux, KF
 
Saw this in the local paper. They run a lot of fluffy crap about the university, though.
The race for rare earth metals



Hey, and look, neodymium batteries!
Magnets made of neodymium are key components of neodymium batteries.
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See, you just spin the crank on the neodymium battery and voila! :lol:
 
Kingfish said:
...All of this added production could prove to be unnecessary though, if a government-backed team of engineers manage to succeed in the development of electric motors that don't rely on rare earth magnets to operate...
Click to expand...

I would be very keen to learn more about this technology. Ideas where to look? 8)
Best, KF
Click to expand...
Look inside you mind man!!!!1

The way I see it if we all eliminated the distractions in our lifes we would have some way amazing aclomplishments and I have a couple but I want more!!! So I am not sure what to do because my new distraction is actualy very fun and quite cute :wink:
Non the less my buisness is run from my shop where I experament so I will play!
But seriosly Kingfish just build something you see quite smart and I think you will amaze your self!
 
IMHO when one looks worldwide, 94% efficiency with rare-earths; and 88% without... well transportation will continue, mostly just fine. Specific power related applications will of course take a hit, like electric UAV's etc. If your afloat in water or on terra firma, I think we can deal with it.

What is equally ominous is the high temperature capability certain rare earths give when judiciously used in coatings. Now that is going to hurt, because of the extreme sensitivity of life to operating temperature.

I also think variable reluctance is the motor technology behind the curtain. Folks have been working on it for a while now. I don't think anything will match the efficiency however when 1+ Tesla rare earth magnets are utilized in some form of a multiphase BLDC topology.

What I think is the white elephant in the room is >... snag what's left of Uranium, and Thorium processors. India understands the future of electricity better than anyone.
 
Squeezing the grape,

China to shake up rare earth industry
Reuters said:
China announced a shake-up of its rare earths industry on Wednesday, vowing "reasonable" quotas on mining and exports to bring order to the small but strategic sector where its dominance has spooked foreign buyers.

Premier Wen Jiabao told a Cabinet, or State Council, meeting that the country's rare earth industry had been harmed by illegal mining and "chaotic" exports.
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Really?

"The government has already been moving to strengthen controls on mining, and being stricter about environmental controls, and this sounds like it's an extension of that," said Ni Kunwei, a rare earths sales manager with the Jinlong Rare Earths Company in east China's Fujian province.

"In the short term, I'd expect rare earths prices domestically to rise, because of all the attention from the government and the extra controls," he added.

The State Council said it would take "about 5 years" to "establish a sustainable and healthy setting for the rare earths industry with reasonable mining, orderly production, efficient usage, advanced technology and intensive development."
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Can anyone spell A F R I C A ?

Sorry, but I do not like sole-sourcing, particularly with strategic products and materials.

~KF
 
Once again though, contrary to the alarmist concern, these export regulations ONLY apply to the ore itself, and zero effect on exporting products using REE's.

IMHO, this just makes good economic sense for China. Keeps the ore refining industry in China. Keeps the motor industry in China.

If the USA got de-goverment-regulated to the point it could compete in the world market and domestically mining our REE's became economical again, I guarantee if we were locally mining them here in the states, we would also want to be the ones keeping the industry of refining them and manufacturing them into product local.
 
liveforphysics said:
Once again though, contrary to the alarmist concern, these export regulations ONLY apply to the ore itself, and zero effect on exporting products using REE's.

IMHO, this just makes good economic sense for China. Keeps the ore refining industry in China. Keeps the motor industry in China.

If the USA got de-goverment-regulated to the point it could compete in the world market and domestically mining our REE's became economical again, I guarantee if we were locally mining them here in the states, we would also want to be the ones keeping the industry of refining them and manufacturing them into product local.
Click to expand...

I think there will be a trickle down effect. What if people get tired of Chinese motors? No country should have a monopoly on something as important as electric motors. I hope the rest of the world can get back in the game before it's too late.

On the subject of under regulated mining and industry keeping things here, I must disagree. We have a few uranium mines around here. One mill in southern Utah, and another one going in in Paradox, CO. I just recently found out that the three local uranium mining companies are Chinese, Canadian, and Russian owned. They're also buying up mining claims left and right. The uranium ore that's mined and processed around here goes to Russia and China, not the US(the Canadians sell theirs to the Russians is case you're wondering). The big new uranium mill, the second one in the country, is only going to employ 85 people. The products of the mining, NUCLEAR MATERIALS, are going halfway around the world, and WE'RE left with the polluted streams and air because of it. :evil:

Leave things to business, and greed runs the show.

Deregulating mining on our end IS NOT the way to catch up. It's already way too dirty, even with the strict regulations we already have. Have you ever been to a mine site? I have. They're not pretty. Any mining or energy project built from now on needs to be built under a completely different philosophy. This will be expensive. Doing things right always is. The reason that China is running the REE show right now is because THEY are under regulated. They pollute mindlessly, work their slaves into the ground, and are literally ripping their land apart to dominate the market with their low prices. Not to mention the currency devaluation and subsidies and all of that garbage. We don't need to regulate less. We need to require that our trading partners meet the same environmental and human rights standards so the playing field is level for once.
 
Rare Earth Metals and Military Readiness

This was posted at Reuters on Feb 15th:

The report states that China's dominance in the rare earths market will have serious implications for the U.S. national security within the next few years… The letter states that the trade situation with China leaves the "United States dependent on an unreliable foreign supplier" with no active supply in the United States.
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The report goes on to name recommendations.

As a prime mover, once the DoD gets behind a movement we can expect quick action. This should be a top-strategic priority for every nation with substaintial investments in defense (aside from the obvious commercial benefits).

~KF
 
China's exports of rare earth metals burst through the $100,000-per-tonne mark for the first time in February, up almost ninefold from a year before
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Wow. This to cover their investments in high-tech smelting processes
r
 
The race for rare earth metals
Mining CEO: U.S. must regain production
http://www.amestrib.com/articles/2011/04/08/ames_tribune/news/hid25165sect_7f94efc59dfc7a1e9e0.txt

With a goal of bringing the mine back into production after a lengthy permitting process, Molycorp is spending $781 million for development projects that will allow it to produce 40,000 tons of rare earth ore a year by 2013 in what Smith believes is a commercially viable way.
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Leave it to US to not be able to get out of our own way.
 
Reuters: Huge rare earth deposits found in Pacific: Japan experts

Reuters said:
Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and can be readily extracted, Japanese scientists said on Monday.
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The article is very optimistic, except for noting that pristine islands such as Hawaii and Tahiti have exceptionally large quantities of RE-bearing mud sediments. As long as the pollution is kept in check I'd say go for it.
~KF
 
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