High-technology and environmental applications of the rare-earth elements (REE) have grown dramatically in diversity and importance over the past four decades. This book provides a scientific understanding of rare earth properties and uses, present and future. It also points the way to efficient recycle of the rare earths in end-of-use products and efficient use of rare earths in new products. Scientists and students will appreciate the book's approach to the availability, structure and properties of rare earths and how they have led to myriad critical uses, present and future. Experts should buy this book to get an integrated picture of production and use (present and future) of rare earths and the science behind this picture. This book will prove valuable to.non-scientists as well in order to get an integrated picture of production and use of rare earths in the 21st Century, and the science behind this picture. Defines the chemical, physical and structural properties of rare earths. Gives the reader a basic understanding of what rare earths can do for us. Describes uses of each rare earth with chemical, physics, and structural explanations for the properties that underlie those uses. Allows the reader to understand how rare earths behave and why they are used in present applications and will be used in future applications. Explains to the reader where and how rare earths are found and produced and how they are best recycled to minimize environmental impact and energy and water consumption.

High-technology and environmental applications of the rare-earth elements (REE) have grown dramatically in diversity and importance over the past four decades. This book provides a scientific understanding of rare earth properties and uses, present and future. It also points the way to efficient recycle of the rare earths in end-of-use products and efficient use of rare earths in new products. Scientists and students will appreciate the book's approach to the availability, structure and properties of rare earths and how they have led to myriad critical uses, present and future. Experts should buy this book to get an integrated picture of production and use (present and future) of rare earths and the science behind this picture. This book will prove valuable to.non-scientists as well in order to get an integrated picture of production and use of rare earths in the 21st Century, and the science behind this picture. Defines the chemical, physical and structural properties of rare earths. Gives the reader a basic understanding of what rare earths can do for us. Describes uses of each rare earth with chemical, physics, and structural explanations for the properties that underlie those uses. Allows the reader to understand how rare earths behave and why they are used in present applications and will be used in future applications. Explains to the reader where and how rare earths are found and produced and how they are best recycled to minimize environmental impact and energy and water consumption.

1;Front Cover;12;Rare Earths: Science, Technology, Production and Use;43;Copyright;54;Contents;65;Contributors;186;Preface;207;Chapter 1: Overview;227.1;1.1. Exploited Properties;227.2;1.2. Uses;237.3;1.3. Occurrence;257.4;1.4. Mines and Mining;257.5;1.5. Rare Earth [RE] Extraction;257.6;1.6. Metal Production;277.7;1.7. Rare Earth Uses;287.7.1;1.7.1. Rare earth metals in magnet alloys;287.7.2;1.7.2. Rare earths in rechargeable battery electrodes;307.7.3;1.7.3. Rare earth automobile exhaust pollution abatement catalysts;317.7.4;1.7.4. Glass polishing powders;317.7.5;1.7.5. Luminescent and phosphorescent uses;327.8;1.8. Rare Earth Recycling (Fig.1.9);327.9;1.9. Summary;337.10;References;347.11;Suggested Reading;358;Chapter 2: Rare Earth Production, Use and Price;368.1;2.1. Chapter Objectives;378.2;2.2. Form of Use;378.3;2.3. Detailed Uses;388.4;2.4. Rare Earth Prices;418.4.1;2.4.1. Comparison with platinum group metals;488.5;2.5. Mining Rare Earths;488.5.1;2.5.1. Locations;488.6;2.6. Summary;508.7;References;509;Chapter 3: Mining and Rare Earth Concentrate Production;529.1;3.1. Rare Earth Deposits;529.2;3.2. Igneous Deposits;529.3;3.3. Mining;539.4;3.4. Extracting Rare Earth Elements from Mined Ore;539.5;3.5. Concentrate Production;549.6;3.6. Froth Flotation;569.7;3.7. Flotation Product;579.7.1;3.7.1. Flotation summary;589.8;3.8. Rare Earth Beach Sands;589.9;3.9. Rare Earth Cation Adsorption Clays;609.10;3.10. Deposit Structure;629.11;3.11. Ion Adsorption Clay Formation;639.12;3.12. Commercial Leaching of the Clays;649.13;3.13. Initial Rare Earth Oxide Production;649.14;3.14. Summary;659.15;References;669.16;Suggested Reading;6710;Chapter 4: Extracting Rare Earth Elements from Concentrates;6810.1;4.1. Industrial Rare Earth Minerals;6810.2;4.2. Industrial Rare Earth Extraction;7010.3;4.3. Extraction from Monazite and Xenotime Ores;7210.3.1;4.3.1. Caustic soda leaching;7210.3.2;4.3.2. Advantages of caustic soda leaching;7410.3.3;4.3.3. Acid baking process;7410.4;4.4. Bastnasite Leaching;7510.4.1;4.4.1. Roast-hydrochloric acid leach process;7510.4.2;4.4.2. Caustic soda leaching;7610.4.3;4.4.3. Sulfuric acid baking;7710.5;4.5. Rare Earth Cation Adsorption Clays;7810.5.1;4.5.1. Leaching methods;7810.6;4.6. Loparite;8010.7;4.7. Apatite;8110.7.1;4.7.1. Sulfuric acid leaching;8110.7.2;4.7.2. Nitric acid leaching;8210.8;4.8. New Processes for Other Rare Earth Minerals Including Silicates;8210.8.1;4.8.1. Thor Lake, Northwest territories, Canada (Avalon process, Fig.4.8);8310.8.2;4.8.2. Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia (Alkane Resources, Ltd.);8310.9;4.9. The Key Question of Radioactive Impurities Removal;8510.9.1;4.9.1. The radioactive families;8510.9.2;4.9.2. Thorium and uranium removal;8610.9.3;4.9.3. Radium removal;8610.9.4;4.9.4. Lead removal;8610.9.5;4.9.5. Actinium removal;8710.9.6;4.9.6. Thorex radioactive element removal process;8710.10;4.10. Summary;8810.11;Suggested Reading;8811;Chapter 5: Rare Earths Purification, Separation, Precipitation and Calcination;9011.1;5.1. Selective Crystallization;9111.2;5.2. Ion Exchange;9211.3;5.3. Solvent Extraction (Rydberg et al., 2007);9311.3.1;5.3.1. Solvent extraction process-how to get pure rare earths from a mixed rare earth solution;9411.3.2;5.3.2. The industrial solvent extraction equipment-mixer-settlers;9811.3.3;5.3.3. The chemistry of solvent extraction and the solvent choice;9811.3.4;5.3.4. Chloride process vs. nitrate process;10311.4;5.4. Pure Rare Earth Compound Production;10511.4.1;5.4.1. Oxides production;10611.4.2;5.4.2. Phosphates production;10711.4.3;5.4.3. Fluorides;10811.5;5.5. Summary;10811.6;Appendix 5.1. Rare Earth Separation Simulation;10911.7;Appendix 5.2. Rare Earth Separations Using Specific Oxidation Degrees;10911.7.1;Appendix 5.2.1. Cerium purification using Ce(IV) oxidation degree;10911.7.2;Appendix 5.2.2. Europium purification using Eu(II) oxidation degree;11011.8;App