examining U.S. reliance on overseas sources for semiconductors, rare earth elements, batteries, and pharmaceuticals. China is the global leader in mining, refining, and component manufacturing of products that use rare earth elements, so in the face of escalating tensions between the two countries, many U.S. manufacturers might be vulnerable. A supply chain specialist in Washington recently asked me how hard it would be for the U.S. to become self-sufficient in this category.
There are 17 rare earth elements: 15 are part of a group called the lanthanides. Two metals – scandium and yttrium – are included because they have similar chemical properties and usually are found together in the same ore deposits. What is especially interesting about this group is that while chemically they behave similarly, they span a wide range of uses.
Despite their name, rare earths actually aren’t that rare in the earth’s crust. The least abundant of these, thulium and lutetium are 200 timesthan gold. The challenge is finding concentrated deposits that are economical to mine. The U.S. has an estimated 2.7 million tons of ore readily available, and Canada has more than 15 million tons. MP Material’s Mountain Pass mine in California has a high concentration , and decades ago it was the most important source in the world.
I guess it's something we should 'get ready' for... (sorry, I couldn't help myself).
I hear China is planning to steal our minerals by mining straight through the core. This is coming from a reputable source.
Have to get going.
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