About Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

• Group of 17 chemical elements:

  • Includes 15 lanthanides.

  • Plus scandium and yttrium.

• Abundance:

  • Found in the Earth’s crust in relatively high amounts.

  • Present in low concentrations and mixed with other minerals.

  • Extraction is difficult and costly.

• Types:

  • Light REEs (LREEs): More abundant.

  • Heavy REEs (HREEs): Less abundant, more critical due to high demand and low availability.

• Key Examples:

  • LREE – Neodymium: Critical for mobile phones, medical equipment, EVs.

  • HREE – Dysprosium, Yttrium, Cerium: Important for clean energy technologies but have smaller markets due to supply limits.

• Misleading Name:

  • “Rare” refers to economic viability, not physical scarcity.

Applications of REEs

• Electronics:

  • Smartphones, laptops, flat-panel displays, headphones.

  • Used for magnetic and phosphorescent properties.

• Clean Energy:

  • High-performance magnets for wind turbines, EVs, solar panels.

• Defence:

  • Precision-guided missiles, radar, sonar, jet engines.

• Medical Technology:

  • MRI, PET scanners, radiation-based cancer treatments.

• Industrial Use:

  • Petroleum refining, glass polishing, corrosion-resistant alloys.

India’s Position in REEs

• Reserves:

  • Holds around 6% of global REE reserves (untapped potential).

• Imports:

  • Imported 2,270 tonnes in FY 2023–24, showing moderate external dependency.

• LREE Extraction:

  • Can extract LREEs from monazite-rich beach sands in Kerala.

• HREE Refining Gap:

  • Lacks technology and infrastructure for heavy REE refining.

  • Creates a strategic vulnerability.