Latest News About Hidden Elements Supply -in- Catalysts for Green Applications

Updated 2026-06-18 07:27

Scarce earth elements remain a group of 17 featuring scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides ranging from lanthanum to lutetium, found together in numerous ore sources that are critical for magnets, catalysts, and clean-energy tech. Cerium the most abundant REE in the crust, while promethium does not occur naturally and is radioactive. Worldwide supply lines have long depended on a limited number of nations for mining and processing, driving ongoing diversification efforts and price volatility due to mining, processing, and geopolitical factors. U.S.-based Molycorp started output at Mountain Pass and aims for full capacity to reach 19,050 metric tons, with a separation plant at Mountain to processing. Rare earths are found in catalysts and magnets across modern technology, driving clean-energy apps and advanced manufacturing. Their worldwide importance has led to diversification along with supply chain reforms to reduce price swings caused by mining, processing, and geopolitical factors. In sum, rare-earth elements continue to be crucial for modern technology in green energy development.

Sources

Rare Earths Information Page

Find out everything you need to know about rare earths such as dysprosium and neodymium. This includes extraction, areas of application and the political dimension.

rareearths.com

Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain

U.S.-based Molycorp has begun production at its Mountain Pass mine and anticipates production at full capacity (19,050 metric tons) in 2014. Molycorp also operates a separation plant at Mountain Pass, CA, and sells rare earth concentrates and refined products from newly mined and previously mined above-ground stocks. Molycorp announced its purchase of Neo Materials

sgp.fas.org

Rare-earth element | Uses, Properties, & Facts

Rare-earth element, any member of the group of chemical elements consisting of three elements in Group 3 (scandium [Sc], yttrium [Y], and lanthanum [La]) and the first extended row of elements below the main body of the periodic table (cerium [Ce] through lutetium [Lu]).

www.britannica.com