Uses of Rare Earths

Chatham Rise rock phosphate includes 15 of the 17 recognised rare earth elements, excluding only scandium and promethium. The uses and applications of these rare earths are listed in the table below.

  
    Rare Earth
    Application
  
    Neodymium
    Powerful magnets used in loudspeakers, computer hard drives, wind turbines, electric vehicles, used in lasers
  
    Lanthanum
    Camera and telescope lenses, carbon lighting applications,  studio lighting and cinema projection Used in the process of refining crude oil.Used in specialty glasses and optics, electrodes and for hydrogen storage.
  
    Cerium
    Catalytic converters in cars Makes an excellent oxidizer, used in oil cracking during petroleum refining and is used for yellow color in ceramics and glass.
  
    Praseodymium
    Used to create strong metals used in aircraft engines
Used to make a special type of glass used in visors to protect welders and glassmakers

Used in magnets, lasers and as green color in ceramics and glass.

    Gadolinium
    Used in X-ray and MRI scanning systems, and also in television screens
Used in magnets, speciality optics, and computer memory.

    Yttrium
    Televisions, computer screens and other devices that have visual displays
Used in superconductors and exotic light sources.

    Terbium
    Used as green in ceramics and paints, and in lasers and fluorescent lamps.
  
    Europium
    Europium is used in making control rods in nuclear reactors
Makes colored phosphors, lasers, and mercury-vapor lamps.

    Samarium:
    Used in magnets, lasers and for neutron capture.
  
    Dysprosium:
    Used in magnets and lasers.
  
    Holmium:
    Used in lasers.
  
    Erbium
    Used in steel alloyed with vanadium, as well as in lasers.
  
    Thulium
    Used in portable x-ray equipment.
  
    Ytterbium
    Used in infrared lasers. Also, works as a great chemical reducer.
  
    Lutetium
    Used in specialty glass and radiology equipment.

Summary Table of Rare Earths and Other Minerals

(includes only those with significant indicative values)

  
    Location
  
    Element
    
    Seafloor Muds
    Rock  Phosphate
  
    Cerium
    Ce
    x
    
    Cesium
    Cs
    x
    
    Chlorine
    Cl
    x
    
    Chromium
    Cr
    x
    x
  
    Cobalt
    Co
    x
    x
  
    Elemental Fluorine
    F
    
    x
  
    Gallium
    Ga
    x
    
    Germanium
    Ge
    x
    
    Hafnium (with 2% Zircon)
    Hf
    x
    
    Iodine
    I
    x
    
    Lanthanum
    La
    x
    x
  
    Neodymium
    Nd
    
    Nickel
    Ni
    x
    x
  
    Niobium
    Nb
    x
    
    Praseodymium
    Pr
    
    x
  
    Rubidium
    Rb
    x
    
    Strontium
    Sr
    x
    x
  
    Thallium
    Tl
    x
    
    Thorium
    Th
    x
    
    Tungsten
    WO3
    x
    
    Uranium
    U3O8
    x
    x
  
    Vanadium
    V2O5
    x
    x
  
    Yttrium
    Y
    x
    x
  
    Iron
    Fe
    
    x
  
    Silicon
    Si
    
    x
  
    Aluminium
    Al
    
    x
  
    Magnesium
    Mg
    
    x
  
    Titanium
    Ti
    
    x
  
    Samarium
    Sm
    
    x
  
    Europium
    Eu
    
    x
  
    Gadolinium
    Gd
    
    x
  
    Terbium
    Tb
    
    x
  
    Dysprosium
    Dy
    
    x
  
    Holmium
    Ho
    
    x
  
    Erbium
    Er
    
    x
  
    Thulium
    Tm
    
    x
  
    Ytterbium
    Yb
    
    x
  
    Lutetium
    Lu
    
    x
  
    Zirconium
    Zr
    x
    x