How rare earth elements make modern technology possible

We rely on rare earths to color our smartphone screens, fluoresce to signal authenticity in euro banknotes and relay signals through fiber-optic cables across the seafloor. They are also essential for building some of the world’s strongest and most reliable magnets. They generate sound waves in your headphones, boost digital information through space and shift the trajectories of heat-seeking missiles.

Most lanthanides possess another important set of electrons called the “f-electrons,” which dwell in a Goldilocks zone located near the valence electrons but slightly closer to the nucleus. “It’s these f-electrons that are responsible for both the magnetic and luminescent properties of the rare earth elements,” says Ana de Bettencourt-Dias, an inorganic chemist at the University of Nevada, Reno.The rare earths are a group of 17 elements .

Rare earths also radiate useful invisible light. Yttrium is a key ingredient in yttrium-aluminum-garnet, or YAG, a synthetic crystal that forms the core of many high-powered lasers. Engineers tune the wavelengths of these lasers by lacing YAG crystals with another rare earth. The most popular variety are neodymium-laced YAG lasers, which are used for everything from slicing steel to removing tattoos to laser range-finding.

It’s those f-electrons at play. Rare earths have many orbitals of electrons, but the f-electrons inhabit a specific group of seven orbitals called the 4f-subshell. In any subshell, electrons try to spread themselves out among the orbitals within. Each orbital can house up to two electrons. But since the 4f-subshell contains seven orbitals, and most rare earths contain fewer than 14 f-electrons, the elements tend to have multiple orbitals with just one electron.

Source: Tech Daily Report (techdailyreport.net)

China is trying to capture the most rare earth metals to hold the world hostage. Wake up!

بهتر نبود از خود محققین چینی می‌پرسیدید حداقل یک اطلاعات جزئی درباره چگونگی شناور شدن و حرکت این قطار و فعال شدن این آهنرباها ارائه دهند؟!

And the children digging this shit up? What about them? Ten cents a day

This news makes me want to celebrate.

Waka wake up there is only Dune

Also how many slaves do they need to mine more?

And what is the environmental impact of mining these rare earth elements.

Hey, Big Brother I think one was enough 😬

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