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Rare-Earth Metals Facts & Worksheets

Rare earth elements are quite prevalent in the planet's crust, with cerium ranking 25th at 68 parts per million. This makes it as plentiful as copper. Rare earth elements are generally scattered due to their geochemical characteristics.

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Rare earth elements are quite prevalent in the planet’s crust, with cerium ranking 25th at 68 parts per million. This makes it as plentiful as copper. Rare earth elements are generally scattered due to their geochemical characteristics. This implies they are rarely discovered in dense enough clusters to be mined. The Rare earth elements are divided into light elements (lanthanum to samarium) and heavy elements (europium to lutetium). 

See the fact file below for more information about Rare Earth Metals, or you can download our 25-page Rare Earth Metals worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS

  • Rare earths are potent reducing agents in chemistry. Their compounds are primarily ionic, with high melting and boiling points. 
  • Rare earths are generally soft when metallic, but those with a higher atomic number are harder. Rare earths react with other metallic and nonmetallic elements to generate compounds with distinct chemical properties. 
  • As a result, they are essential and irreplaceable in a wide range of electrical, optical, magnetic, and catalytic applications. Under UV light, rare earth compounds are typically fluorescent, which can aid in their identification. 
  • When combined with water or diluted acid, rare earths can also form hydrogen gas.

Rare Elements and their Applications 

  • Rare earth elements (REEs) are a collection of 17 chemical elements found in the periodic table, encompassing 15 lanthanides alongside scandium and yttrium.
  • Scandium and yttrium are called REEs because they occur in the same mineral formations as lanthanides and have comparable chemical characteristics, such as malleability and high melting and boiling temperatures. 
  • Each REE has a subshell that contains f-electrons, which give them magnetic and luminous features, and they are all metals.

HOW ARE REES MINED AND PROCESSED?

Mining

  • Exploration and Deposit Identification: Geologists and engineers conduct exploration activities to locate and identify deposits of rare earth minerals. This involves analyzing geological formations, drilling core samples, and using geophysical techniques.
  • Open-Pit Mining: The most frequent technique of mining rare earth minerals is open-pit mining. This involves removing large amounts of Earth and rock to expose the mineral deposit. Overburden, the layer of soil and rock covering the mineral deposit, is removed using excavators and trucks.
  • Underground Mining: In some cases, rare earth minerals are mined underground, mainly when the deposit is deep beneath the surface. This method involves tunneling into the Earth and extracting the mineral deposit using specialized mining equipment. 

Processing

  • Crushing and Grinding: The mined ore is crushed and ground into a fine powder to increase the surface area and facilitate the separation of rare earth minerals from other materials.
  • Separation Techniques: Various techniques are employed to separate rare earth minerals from each other due to their similar chemical properties. These techniques include:
  • Solvent Extraction: A solvent is used to extract rare earth metals from the powdered ore selectively. The solvent molecules bind to the rare earth ions, and the complex is then separated from the remaining ore material.
  • Ion Exchange: Ion exchange resins are used to exchange ions of rare earth metals with other ions selectively. The rare earth ions are then eluted from the resin using a suitable solution.
  • Purification and Refining: The separated rare earth minerals are further purified and refined to remove impurities and obtain high-purity rare earth oxides of metals. This process may involve additional chemical treatments and physical separation techniques.
  • Production of Rare Earth Compounds: The purified rare earth oxides of metals can be converted into compounds with specific properties and applications. These compounds include salts, alloys, and ceramics.

PROPERTIES OF REE

Chemical Properties

  • Similar Chemical Properties: Rare earth metals share similar chemical properties due to their electron configurations. This makes it difficult to separate from each other, but it also allows them to be used in various applications.
  • Trivalent State: Rare earth metals typically exhibit a trivalent state (+3), losing three electrons to form stable ions. This characteristic contributes to their unique chemical properties and reactivity.
  • Formation of Complexes: Rare earth metals readily form complexes with various molecules, including organic ligands and inorganic anions. This ability to form complexes is crucial for their application in catalysis and other fields.

Physical Properties

  • Metallic Appearance: Rare earth metals are typically silvery-white or gray in appearance and have high melting and boiling points.
  • Malleability and Ductility: Some rare earth metals are malleable (can be shaped into thin sheets) and ductile (can be drawn into wires). However, their malleability and ductility vary depending on the specific element.
  • Magnetic Properties: Rare earth metals exhibit various magnetic properties, from paramagnetic (weakly attracted to magnets) to ferromagnetic (strongly attracted to magnets). These magnetic properties are essential for their use in permanent magnets and other applications.

Optical Properties

  • Absorption and Emission Spectra: Rare earth metals have unique absorption and emission spectra, which give them their characteristic color and luminescence properties.
  • Activation Energy: Rare earth ions require specific energy levels to be excited, which allows them to emit light at particular wavelengths. This property is exploited in lasers and other optical applications.
  • High Refractive Index: Some rare earth oxides have high refractive indices, making them suitable for optical lenses and other components.

REE RESOURCES

  • While they are referred to as “rare” earth elements, they are not, in reality, very uncommon and are reasonably prevalent in the Earth’s crust. 
  • It is uncommon to discover them sufficiently to support commercial mineral development, particularly in nations with stricter mining regulations and environmental programs. 
  • Initially, REEs were collected during the uranium mining and recovery process. The emergence of color television in the 1960s led to the first large commercial usage of REEs, most of which were mined in California. 
  • Because conventional recovery procedures were labor-demanding and polluted the environment, China became the world’s main producer of REEs in the 1990s. 
  • No other country could compete with its cheaper salaries and laxer environmental standards. 
  • By 2000, China accounted for over 95% of the world’s REE mining.
  • With the REE mining business dominated, China continued to create a thriving mines-to-magnet sector, making high-tech countries like Japan and the United States reliant on them for their new technology.  
  • The implications of this monopoly became apparent when a territorial issue in 2010 resulted in China refusing to sell REEs to Japan.  
  • Several US administrations have cited China’s monopoly on the REE supply chain as a national security threat. According to a Foreign Policy Research Institute analysis from 2021, it is “one of the largest strategic vulnerabilities to the United States and her allies since the Arab oil embargo-triggered energy security crisis of the 1970s.”
  • REE mining has become more diverse in recent years. Approximately 35% of REE materials were mined outside of China in 2022. 
  • Unfortunately, as the graph below shows, this diversification has not extended to the remainder of the supply chain. Even today, most REEs mined in other nations are sent to China for separation, refining, and magnet manufacturing. This allows China to maintain its dominant position in the REE supply chain.

IMPORTANCE

  • REEs’ distinct properties enable them to improve the performance of other metals and, in most situations, result in a reduction in the quantity of metal required for an application, allowing it to be smaller and lighter. 
  • They are found in commonplace devices such as cell phones and computers. They are also employed in cutting-edge medical technology such as MRIs, laser scalpels, and certain cancer medications. 
  • They are used in defense applications in satellite communications, navigation systems, and aircraft constructions. They are essential in various green technologies, particularly those supporting net zero carbon emissions targets, such as wind turbines and electric automobiles.
  • When it comes to rare earths, a little goes a long way. Rare earths are utilized in modest amounts in high-tech equipment. Yet, they are virtually always vital to the unit’s functioning. A smartphone, for example, employs seven rare earths in everything from its colorful screen to its speakers to the shrinking of the phone’s circuitry. 
  • While there are just a few rare earths in each phone, the volume of phones sold each year is astonishing. Apple iPhone sales increased from 55.8 million devices in 2010 to over 225 million in 2022.

Rare Earth Metals Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Rare Earth Metals across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Rare Earth Metals. Rare earth elements are generally scattered due to their geochemical characteristics. This implies they are rarely discovered in dense enough clusters to be mined.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Rare-Earth Metals Facts
  2. Metal Types
  3. Name It!
  4. The Periodic Table
  5. Applications
  6. Table of Rare Earth
  7. Element Limerick
  8. Futuristic Inventor
  9. Everyday Metals
  10. Mining Impact
  11. An Illustrated Story

Frequently Asked Questions

What are rare earth metals?

Rare earth metals are a group of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, consisting of the 15 lanthanides (lanthanum to lutetium) as well as scandium and yttrium. Despite their name, some of these elements are not particularly rare in the Earth’s crust, but they are often found in low concentrations, making extraction challenging.

Why are rare earth metals important?

Rare earth metals play a crucial role in the manufacturing of various high-tech products, including electronics, renewable energy technologies, and defense systems. They are essential components in the production of smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, lasers, and magnets used in many applications.

Which countries are major producers of rare earth metals?

China is the dominant producer of rare earth metals, accounting for a significant portion of the global supply. Other notable producers include Australia, the United States, Russia, and some African countries. The concentration of production in a few countries has raised concerns about the supply chain’s vulnerability and geopolitical implications.

Why are rare earth metals considered strategically important?

Rare earth metals are strategically important due to their critical role in advanced technologies. Dependence on a limited number of suppliers, particularly China, has led to concerns about the vulnerability of supply chains for crucial industries. Countries recognize the strategic importance of securing a stable supply of rare earth metals to safeguard their technological and economic interests.

What are the environmental challenges associated with rare earth metal mining?

Rare earth metal mining and processing can have significant environmental impacts. The extraction process can result in the release of harmful pollutants and radioactive elements into the air and water. Improper disposal of mining waste can lead to soil and water contamination. Efforts are being made to develop more sustainable and environmentally friendly methods for rare earth metal extraction to mitigate these challenges.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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