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China’s rare earth miners. PHOTOS/REUTERS
Rare earth elements in China and the United States found in bastnaesite are the largest component of the world’s resources. China is a major producer of rare earth metals in the world. In 2005, China was able to produce 43 million tons. This production capacity represents 50% of the world’s production of rare earth metals.
Furthermore, with the large production of rare earth metals, China is able to encourage the rapid growth of industrial technology. Then began to establish a national electronics industry that can compete with the outside electronics industry with its ability to use rare earth materials.
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Currently, China not only dominates the electronic goods market, but almost all kinds of industrial products with very competitive prices, such as the steel, automotive and other manufacturing industries. America’s need for rare earths is not met by its domestic production, so it still requires imports, where the use of rare earths is increasing in components for defense such as fighter jet engines and commercial aircraft, missile weapon systems, electronics, underwater detection, defense anti-missile, tracking devices, energy generation on satellites, and communications.
Uses of rare earth elements in America for automotive catalysts, catalysts in oil refining, for metallurgical additives and alloys, glass and ceramic coatings, rare earth phosphorus for lighting, televisions, computer monitors, radar and films for X-rays, magnets , lasers for medical, and others.
The use of rare earth minerals is increasingly selective, this is related to environmental aspects. For example, monazite containing thorium, although the radioactive nature of thorium is low, it is accompanied by its derivative in the form of radium which has higher radioactive properties, and will accumulate during the processing, so considering environmental aspects, the use of monazite is more limited and preferably containing low thorium. , such as bastnaesit.
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The use of rare earths is very diverse in the industrial world. of various kinds
With the use of rare earth metals, it can be concluded that this material is the future of the world.
Given that these materials are the trigger for the birth of new technologies that will continue to develop, such as LCDs, magnets, and hybrid batteries. This results in the demand for rare earth metals which will continue to increase. The rare earth metal industry is a promising industry that has the potential to continue to grow in the future.
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