RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE)

• Rare Earth Elements are a family of 17 elements in the periodic table.

Light and Heavy Rare Earth Elements:

Important Sources:

• Carbonatites, which host the world's most extensive deposits of rare earth elements (REEs).
• Alkaline Igneous Systems, a set of rare igneous rock types with lower alkaline content compared to sodium, potassium, and calcium.
• Non-Absorption Clay Deposits in South China, the primary global supplier of heavy REEs.
• Monazite-Xenotime-Bearing Placer Deposits, the primary source of rare earths and thoriums in India.

APPLICATIONS

• In lights, screens and glass
• As catalysts
• In magnets, electronics and steel alloye
• defence and energy sectors

ISSUES

• Light REES : Sufficiently available but extraction and utilization unviable economically
• Heavy REES not available in extractable quantities Initial detection in 2015 by LIGO experiment with laser interferometers.

GLOBAL RARE EARTH RESERVE BASE BY COUNTRY