London Commodity Markets - Explore the various uses for each of the 17 rare earth elements

If you are considering trading rare earth commodities, it is important that you know the uses of the different metals. According to the IUPAC definition, rare earth elements are a set of 15 chemical elements falling under

lanthanides in the periodic table, plus yttrium and scandium. Yttrium and scandium qualify as rare earth metals

since they have the same chemical properties as lanthanides and they are

extracted from the same elements.

Scandium is used in mercury vapor lamps to make them brighter. It is used in

such athletic equipment as aluminum baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, and bicycle

frames. It also makes fuel cells.

Yttrium is used to produce color in TV picture tubes, to conduct acoustic and

microwave energy, to strengthen glass, magnesium alloys, ceramics and

aluminum alloys, and to simulate diamond gemstones.

Trade in Lanthanum is popular because the metal is used in the manufacture of carbon arc lamps. These lamps

are used in the TV and film industry as project and studio lights. The rare metal is also used in the flints of

cigarette lighters, in batteries, and in some camera lenses.

Trade in Cerium is popular because cerium is the most common of all rare

earth elements. It is used in diesel fuels and catalytic converters to reduce

the emission of carbon monoxide by vehicles. It is also used in lighter flints,

carbon arc lights, self-cleaning ovens, and glass polishers.

Praseodymium is mostly used together with magnesium to make a high-

strength allow for use in aircraft engines. Other uses are as signal

amplifiers, in making fiber-optic cables, and in creating the hard glass used in

welding goggles.

Neodymium is used in the manufacture of powerful neodymium magnets that are used in computer HDDs, ear

bud headphones, in microphones, in wind turbines, and in hybrid cars. Other reasons for the trade in

neodymium rare earth commodities are that the metal is also used in the manufacture of lighter flints and

welding goggles, and in coloring glass.

Promethium is the only rare earth metal that is not naturally-occurring. The metal is produced by the fusion of

uranium. It is used to make luminous paint, X-ray devices, and nuclear-powered micro batteries.

Samarium’s main use is in the manufacture of the magnet that has the highest known demagnetization

resistance (used together with cobalt). Samarium is also used in the construction of ‘smart’ missiles, to make

some glasses, in lighter flints and in carbon arc lamps. Europium is very reactive and has few commercial uses,

meaning even trade in europium rare earth commodities is limited. It is used as a red phosphor in computer

monitors and TVs, in fluorescent lamps, and in some lasers.

Gadolinium is mostly used in nuclear reactors to make control rods and is

therefore among the most popular rare earth commodities in countries that have

nuclear reactors. The rare earth metal is also used in MRIs. Industrially, it is used to

make chromium, iron, and other metals more workable. Terbium is used in solid-

state technology such as to make small sensors and advanced sonar systems. It is

also used to make temperature-resistant fuel cells and in the production of laser

light.

Dysprosium, like gadolinium, is used to make control rods. Other uses are laser- and high-intensity light

production and to raise the coactivity level in high-power permanent magnets. Trade in holmium rare earth

commodities is popular because holmium has high magnetic strength and is therefore used to make industrial

magnets. Other uses are the making of control rods in nuclear reactors, the making of solid-state lasers, and the

coloring of cubic zirconia and some glasses.

Erbium is used in photographic filters and as a doping agent (in signal amplification) in fiber optic cables.

Other uses are as control rods in nuclear reactors, to make metal alloys, and the coloring of specialized glass,

cheap jewelry, and the porcelain used in sunglasses. Thulium is the rarest of the rare earth elements and

therefore has few commercial uses, meaning even trade in thulium rare earth commodities is limited. It is,

however, used in X-ray technology and to make surgical lasers.

Ytterbium, too, has few commercial applications and trade in ytterbium rare earth commodities is limited. The

few specialized applications are in X-ray technology, in making earthquake stress gauges, as fiber optic cable

doping agents, and in making some lasers. Lutetium has specialty uses, among them the calculation of meteorite

age, in PET (positron emission tomography) scans, as a catalyst in the petroleum ‘cracking’ process.

At London Commodity Markets, our goal is to isolate and identify opportunities that provide a unique chance

for investors to take advantage of the rare earth elements and alternative investments market.

Our company ethos is one where each package is tailored to the parameters given to us by our clients.

Our representatives will focus their research and advice on identifying the ideal market in which to achieve

optimum returns on the investment, given the expectations of the client.

At London Commodity Markets we hand-pick a select portfolio of exceptional investment opportunities each

year following in-depth research and analysis by our team of professionals and our extended network of experts

in the relevant rare earth elements and alternative investments market.

All our clients have peace of mind knowing they are being given sound advice by market professionals they can

trust to achieve maximum and safe returns on the investment.

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