RARE EARTHS 101 - Avalon Advanced Materials:...
Transcript of RARE EARTHS 101 - Avalon Advanced Materials:...
RARE EARTHS 101RARE EARTH ElEmEnTS: THE BASicS, EconomicS
Supply cHAin And ApplicATionS
Rare Earth Elements (‘REE’) are non-toxic elements essential to a cleaner environment andreduced reliance on fossil fuels. Also, REE are an enormous potential benefit to human health.
RARE EARTH BASicS
3
Li4
Be
40
Zr41
Nb
31
Ga32
Ge
72
Hf73
Ta
58
Ce59
Pr60
Nd61
Pm62
Sm63
Eu64
Gd65
Tb66
Dy67
Ho68
Er69
Tm70
Yb71
Lu
49
In50
Sn
Other Rare Metals Light Rare Earths Heavy Rare Earths
57
La
37
Rb55
Cs
39
Y
Silvery-white metals that tarnish whenexposed to air, thereby forming their oxides
Relatively soft metals; hardness increaseswith higher atomic numbers
Reacts with water to liberate hydrogengas, slowly in cold/quickly upon heating
Most REE compounds are strongly para-magnetic
Catalytic, chemical, electrical, metallurgical,nuclear, magnetic and optical properties
Many REE compounds fluoresce stronglyunder ultraviolet light
Reacts with dilute acid to release hydro-gen gas rapidly at room temperature
High melting and boiling points
common pRopERTiES oF RARE EARTHS
RThere are 16 REE in total, as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey, 15 lanthanide elementsappearing at the bottom on the Periodic Table, with atomic numbers ranging from lanthanum(57) to lutetium (71), plus the metal yttrium (39); all of which display similar physical andchemical properties. REE deposits tend to occur in two sub-groups:
Light rare earth elements (‘LREE’), which include lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), and samarium (Sm)
Heavy rare earth elements (‘HREE’), which are less common and more valuable, includeeuropium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er),thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) and lutetium (Lu)
Yttrium (Y) most commonly occur in association with HREE sub-group
REE are not particularly rare; similar abundance in the earth’s crust to nickel or tin, butgenerally not concentrated in commercial ore deposits.
RARE EARTH EconomicS
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
China Supply ROW Supply China Demand Total Demand
Dem
and
tpa
- RE
O
20052006
20072008
20092010f
2011f
2012f
2013f
2014f
2015f
Source: IMCOA, Roskill, CREIC, Discussions with Rare Earths Industry Stakeholders 2011
Global Supply & demand
1794 Rare Earths discovered by Johan Gaddin in Ytterby, Sweden1903 First commercial production of rare earth flints at Treibach in Austria1953 Demand approximately 1,000 tons (US$25 million)1965 First stand-alone rare earths mine opened at Mountain Pass, US1985 Development of the Neo magnet, China initiates low cost production 2003 Demand approximately 85,000 tons (US$500 million)2008 Demand approximately 124,000 tons (US$1.25 billion)2015 Demand approximately 200,000 tons (US$2-3 billion)
Today, China produces over 95% of the world’s rare earth elements (“REE”). New sources arebeing developed in Canada, USA and Australia. In aggregate, demand and supply will bebalanced; however, light rare earth elements (“LREE”) are expected to be in surplus whileheavy rare earth elements (“HREE”) in deficit.
year RE ExportQuota
% change demandoutsidechina
Surplus(Shortfall)
THE cHinA FAcToR-REducEd ExpoRTS
2005 65,609 0.0% 48,000 17,6092006 61,821 -6.0% 53,000 8,821
2007 59,643 -4.0% 55,000 4,6462008 56,939 -4.5% 54,000 2,939
2009 50,145 -12.0% 25,000 25,145
2010 30,258 -40.0% 53,000 -22,742
2010 H1 22,2832011 H1 14,446 -35.2%
It has been reported that China’s government has been considering and implementing a rangeof policies putting the government in control of private and unauthorized mines that producerare earth minerals (especially from the HREE-rich South China ionic clays), implementing stricterregulations towards improving environmental performance of its mining sector, and requiringforeign companies to move factories to China to complete production of items using rare earth.
Source: Metal-Pages, IMCOA
Rare Earths Supply & demand
ndFeB pERmAnEnT mAGnETS(‘nEo mAGnETS’) are much morepowerful than alternatives, providing betterperformance with a smaller size which haslead to many miniaturisation applications.Rare earth magnets have been advancedby neodymium, dysprosium, samarium,praseodymium and terbium.
ElEcTRic moToRSare smaller, lighter weight,quieter and more energyefficient with REE magnets.Typically used in turn-drumtype washer and dryer,motors, vacuum cleaners’ motors,elevator wind-up motors, and compressormotors.
W i n d T u R B i n Epower generation is directlyproportional to the sweeparea of the blades andthe cube of wind-speed(similar principles underlieTidAl poWER), hence windturbine blade spans are getting larger andthe overall assemblies taller.
New designs use Neo magnets for directdrive turbines connected to permanentmagnet generators.
New designs eliminate gearboxes therebyreducing energy losses in the machine’sinternal operations, risk of failures andmaintenance costs.
Approximately 0 .6 - 0 .9 tonnes ofNeo magnets per megawatt, of whichapproximately 30% is REE.
RARE EARTH ApplicATionS
REE are used in everyday products to produce energy, reduce energy, increase energy efficiencyand in everyday lifestyle consumer and medical products.
Energyproduction
EnergyReduction
EnergyEfficiency
lifestyleproducts
Petroleum Refining
High-PoweredElectric Motors
Electric / HybridVehicles
Wind Turbines
UV Filters in Glass
Reducing FuelConsumption
Lighter Vehicles
Smaller, LighterElectric Motors
Electric / HybridVehicles
RechargeableBatteries
Energy-EfficientLighting
Color Screens
HardwareComponents
MedicalServices
La Ce SmNd TbEuY
La
Nd Nd La NdDy Tb
Nd Dy Tb Nd Dy
Dy TbEu GdNdCe
LaYCe
Tb
FerriteAlnico
Samarium-cobalt
Neodymium-iron-boron
0
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
10
20
30
40
50
60
(BH
)max
., M
GO
e
Year
HyBRid VEHiclEScut fossil fuel use by com-bining a gasoline engine,battery-powered electricmotors and brakes that cap-ture energy from stopping.
Components requiring REE include: themetal hydride component of a nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) battery; theelectric motor, generator and regenerativebraking systems which are dependent onrare earth magnets.
Typical hybrid vehicle contains approxi-mately 30 kgs of REE, with the majoritycontained in a typical NiMH battery(approx. 15 kgs).
REE play a critical role in automotivecatalytic converters, which transform theprimary pollutants in engine exhaustgases into non-toxic compounds.
mRi mAcHinES usedfor medical imaging anddiagnostics, now incorp-orate rare earth perman-ent magnets to generatehigh strength magnetic fields.
Permanent magnets are replacingexpensive traditional systems of supercooling wire coils in liquid helium systemto reduce the electrical resistance in thewire coils.
New units also provide wider, less claus-trophobic space for the patient.
liGHT EmiTTinGdiodES (lEds) are80% more efficient thanincandescent lighting,and 40% more efficientthan compact fluorescentbulbs (CFLs).
LEDs have an expected life of 50,000 hoursand some are sold with 5 year warranties.
LED market value was approx. $4.6 billionin 2007, and expected to be more than$11 billion in 2012.
Global policy shift of banning incandes-cent light bulbs, to be replaced by CFLsand LEDs, is gaining momentum. CFLsincreasingly seen as an interim step, asthey present mercury disposal manage-ment issues.
conSumER ElEcTRonicSsuch as Apple’s iPod musicplayers as well as other highperforming speakers, head-phones or buds, are drivenby tiny Neo magnets, resultingin smaller, lighter speakers withfaster base response and lower overall distortion.
GlASS pRoducTS suchas those used in monitors,requires cerium oxide,with unique physical andchemical properties, as abuilding block for very efficient polishing compounds throughchemical dissolution and mechanical abrasion,such as solar cell protective glass.
mEdicAl: Rare earths areused in a wide range ofapplications including drugtreatments, diagnostictechniques and equipment.
Catalyst in biomedicaland chemical research.
Organize complexes used in intravenouslyadministered contrasting agents toenhance imaging.
Laser cases and radioisotopes used incancer treatments.
moniToRS for computersand plasma televisions arecoated with phosphors,which generate the primarycolours red, blue, and green.Red requires europium, newblue europium phosphor retainsbrightness ten times longer than previousblue phosphors, and green is generated byphosphor doped with terbium.
A combination of these primary colourphosphors are used to create the white“backlight‟ used in LCD screens and theenergy efficient “tri-phosphor‟ light bulbs.
Fluid cRAcKinGcATAlySTS use lanth-anum and cerium in therefining of crude oil, andis the major contributor tothe process that enables thetransformation of heavy moleculesinto lighter compounds that make up gasolineand other fuels (e.g. gas, jet fuel and diesel).
RARE EARTH ElEmEnT pRocESS:
FRom RocK To TomoRRoW’S pRoducTS
REE pRicinG: dySpRoSium And nEodymium
REE Supply cHAin
copoRATE SociAl RESponSiBiliTyRare Earths are essential components in many clean and greentechnologies. Social and environmental responsibility and goodcorporate governance are integral to the exploration, developmentand production stages of any resource project.
MINING BENEFICIATION HYDROMETALLURGY
SEPARATION
Chemical separation ofindividual rare earth oxidesfrom the mixed rare earth
concentration
Cracking the REE bearingminerals to extract
mixed rare earth oxideconcentrate
Grinding and selectiveflotation of REE bearing
minerals from thecrushed ore
From the groundto crushed ore
PRODUCTS PROCESSING
Rare Earth Metals/Chemicalprocessing to meet specificdownstream technology
applications
Wind TurbinesHybrid/Electric Cars
LED ScreensMiniaturization Technology
Source: Metal-Pages
Avalon’s contributions tothe REE supply chain
Downstreamcontributions
RARE METAL APPS is designed to encourage thefurther sharing of scientific and engineering advancesrelated to rare metals among industrial users, investors,
www.raremetalblog.com policy makers, entrepreneurs and academia.
AVALON RARE METALS INC. 130 Adelaide St. W., Ste. 1901, Toronto, ON M5H 3P5www.avalonraremetals.com T: (416) 364-4938 • E: [email protected]