Rare Earth

Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby millionairemind » Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:15 am

Exciting stuff...

Obama could kill fossil fuels overnight with a nuclear dash for thorium
If Barack Obama were to marshal America’s vast scientific and strategic resources behind a new Manhattan Project, he might reasonably hope to reinvent the global energy landscape and sketch an end to our dependence on fossil fuels within three to five years.


By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Published: 6:55PM BST 29 Aug 2010
19 Comments

We could then stop arguing about wind mills, deepwater drilling, IPCC hockey sticks, or strategic reliance on the Kremlin. History will move on fast.
Muddling on with the status quo is not a grown-up policy. The International Energy Agency says the world must invest $26 trillion (£16.7 trillion) over the next 20 years to avert an energy shock. The scramble for scarce fuel is already leading to friction between China, India, and the West.

There is no certain bet in nuclear physics but work by Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) on the use of thorium as a cheap, clean and safe alternative to uranium in reactors may be the magic bullet we have all been hoping for, though we have barely begun to crack the potential of solar power.
Dr Rubbia says a tonne of the silvery metal – named after the Norse god of thunder, who also gave us Thor’s day or Thursday - produces as much energy as 200 tonnes of uranium, or 3,500,000 tonnes of coal. A mere fistful would light London for a week.

Thorium eats its own hazardous waste. It can even scavenge the plutonium left by uranium reactors, acting as an eco-cleaner. "It’s the Big One," said Kirk Sorensen, a former NASA rocket engineer and now chief nuclear technologist at Teledyne Brown Engineering.

"Once you start looking more closely, it blows your mind away. You can run civilisation on thorium for hundreds of thousands of years, and it’s essentially free. You don’t have to deal with uranium cartels," he said.

Thorium is so common that miners treat it as a nuisance, a radioactive by-product if they try to dig up rare earth metals. The US and Australia are full of the stuff. So are the granite rocks of Cornwall. You do not need much: all is potentially usable as fuel, compared to just 0.7pc for uranium.

After the Manhattan Project, US physicists in the late 1940s were tempted by thorium for use in civil reactors. It has a higher neutron yield per neutron absorbed. It does not require isotope separation, a big cost saving. But by then America needed the plutonium residue from uranium to build bombs.

"They were really going after the weapons," said Professor Egil Lillestol, a world authority on the thorium fuel-cycle at CERN. "It is almost impossible make nuclear weapons out of thorium because it is too difficult to handle. It wouldn’t be worth trying." It emits too many high gamma rays.

You might have thought that thorium reactors were the answer to every dream but when CERN went to the European Commission for development funds in 1999-2000, they were rebuffed.
Brussels turned to its technical experts, who happened to be French because the French dominate the EU’s nuclear industry. "They didn’t want competition because they had made a huge investment in the old technology," he said.

Another decade was lost. It was a sad triumph of vested interests over scientific progress. "We have very little time to waste because the world is running out of fossil fuels. Renewables can’t replace them. Nuclear fusion is not going work for a century, if ever," he said.

The Norwegian group Aker Solutions has bought Dr Rubbia’s patent for the thorium fuel-cycle, and is working on his design for a proton accelerator at its UK operation.
Victoria Ashley, the project manager, said it could lead to a network of pint-sized 600MW reactors that are lodged underground, can supply small grids, and do not require a safety citadel. It will take £2bn to build the first one, and Aker needs £100mn for the next test phase.

The UK has shown little appetite for what it regards as a "huge paradigm shift to a new technology". Too much work and sunk cost has already gone into the next generation of reactors, which have another 60 years of life.

So Aker is looking for tie-ups with the US, Russia, or China. The Indians have their own projects - none yet built - dating from days when they switched to thorium because their weapons programme prompted a uranium ban.

America should have fewer inhibitions than Europe in creating a leapfrog technology. The US allowed its nuclear industry to stagnate after Three Mile Island in 1979.
Anti-nuclear neorosis is at last ebbing. The White House has approved $8bn in loan guarantees for new reactors, yet America has been strangely passive. Where is the superb confidence that put a man on the moon?

A few US pioneers are exploring a truly radical shift to a liquid fuel based on molten-fluoride salts, an idea once pursued by US physicist Alvin Weinberg at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee in the 1960s. The original documents were retrieved by Mr Sorensen.

Moving away from solid fuel may overcome some of thorium’s "idiosyncracies". "You have to use the right machine. You don’t use diesel in a petrol car: you build a diesel engine," said Mr Sorensen.

Thorium-fluoride reactors can operate at atmospheric temperature. "The plants would be much smaller and less expensive. You wouldn’t need those huge containment domes because there’s no pressurized water in the reactor. It’s close-fitting," he said.


Nuclear power could become routine and unthreatening. But first there is the barrier of establishment prejudice.

When Hungarian scientists led by Leo Szilard tried to alert Washington in late 1939 that the Nazis were working on an atomic bomb, they were brushed off with disbelief. Albert Einstein interceded through the Belgian queen mother, eventually getting a personal envoy into the Oval Office.

Roosevelt initially fobbed him off. He listened more closely at a second meeting over breakfast the next day, then made up his mind within minutes. "This needs action," he told his military aide. It was the birth of the Manhattan Project. As a result, the US had an atomic weapon early enough to deter Stalin from going too far in Europe.

The global energy crunch needs equal "action". If it works, Manhattan II could restore American optimism and strategic leadership at a stroke: if not, it is a boost for US science and surely a more fruitful way to pull the US out of perma-slump than scattershot stimulus.
Even better, team up with China and do it together, for all our sakes.
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby kennynah » Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:45 am

the people who will ensure this does not happen tomorrow will be the oil cartels...and those who benefit from oil production...bp, exxon mobil, al gore, bush snr and jnr (aka the terrorists), and a string of powerful american senators....
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby winston » Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:05 am

Japan Works To Slip China’s Chokehold On Rare Earth Metals
By JEREMY BOGAISKY

If China is trying to give its manufacturers a leg up by restricting exports of rare earth metals, it may find the advantage temporary.

With prices spiking following the latest in a series of annual export quota reductions by Beijing earlier this summer, miners have been scrambling to develop deposits of the essential industrial minerals worldwide.

Now Japan’s Nikkei business daily reports that Japanese manufacturers have developed technologies to make automotive and home appliance motors without rare earth metals.

Hitachi has come up with a motor that uses a ferrite magnet made of the cheaper and more common ferric oxide. Meanwhile the chemicals conglomerate Teijin and Tohoku University have co-developed technology to make a powerful magnet using a new composite made of iron and nitrogen.

The hard to procure metals, 17 in all, are vital for manufacturers, allowing for the production of the smaller, lighter motors and batteries that go into electric cars and handheld devices like cell phones. China produces over 90% of the world supply; in July it announced it would cut exports by 40%.

China and Japan are the biggest users of rare earth metals. China says the export reductions are meant to protect the environment (production is messy) and national security; the cynical explanation is that restricting supplies could help Chinese manufacturers climb the value chain and gain market share in more sophisticated products.

The restrictions have rung alarm bells in Tokyo as well as Washington, where the Department of Defense is studying the risks of reliance on China for materials that are widely used in weapons systems. The good news for the U.S. national security-wise is that Molycorp Minerals is set to reopen its Mountain Pass mine in California in 2012.

At one point Mountain Pass produced a significant portion of the world’s rare earth oxides, but cheaper Chinese production led to its closure in the mid-1980s. The bad news: According to a GAO report released in April, it would take 15 years to develop the processing infrastructure to reestablish a domestic supply chain.

http://blogs.forbes.com/jeremybogaisky/ ... =dailycrux
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby greenhoney » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:15 pm

China halts 'rare earth' shipments to Japan: NYT

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China has halted shipments of "rare earth" minerals to Japan, the New York Times reported Thursday, citing unidentified industry officials.

The reported move came after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday threatened retaliatory action against Japan which is holding the captain of a Chinese fishing trawler. The trawler captain was detained by Japanese maritime authorities after fishing in waters controlled by Japan, but claimed by China and Taiwan
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby iam802 » Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:35 pm

On top of the fishing trawler incident, a panda on loan from China to Japan died during sperm collection.

Japan is going through some rough patch.
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby winston » Thu Sep 23, 2010 3:05 pm

So the share price of the Chinese Rare Earth companies should drop then ...

China blocks rare earths exports to Japan: report

China has blocked all exports of rare earths to Japan, stepping up the pressure on Tokyo to release a Chinese boat captain detained in disputed waters, a report said Thursday.

China has halted all shipments to Japan of the chemical elements, essential for the making of iPods, electric cars, missiles and a range of other products, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed industry sources.

Calls to China's commerce and foreign ministries for comment on the report went unanswered.

Japan's foreign ministry and the world's top automaker Toyota -- one of many companies that would be affected by the move -- also did not answer calls.

Japan and China are embroiled in their worst diplomatic row in years, sparked by the captain's arrest following the September 7 collision of his trawler with two Japanese coastguard vessels in the East China Sea.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao this week threatened "further actions" if the captain was not released. Beijing has already suspended high-level contacts with Tokyo and called off several official visits.

China supplies at least 95 percent of the world's rare earths. It had previously cut its export limit for the minerals, sending market prices soaring and sparking concerns among foreign governments and companies.

Last month, before the row erupted, Japan had urged China to expand, not restrict, its exports of rare earths.

Market prices of some types of rare earth metal have soared more than 20 percent since China announced in July that it planned to reduce global shipments.

Previous media reports said the country was considering even banning the export of certain elements and closing mines, which foreign companies and governments fear will deny them access to the much-needed metals and force manufacturers to shift their plants to China.

Source: AFP Asian Edition
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby millionairemind » Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:06 am

Published September 24, 2010

China denies ban on rare earth exports to Japan
Report of embargo may fuel concerns over China's control of global supply



(BEIJING) China denied reports it banned the export of rare earths to Japan in retaliation for the detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain, threatening supplies of a raw material vital to hybrid cars, laptops and iPhones.

Industrial Minerals Co of Australia, an industry publication and consultancy, first reported the ban on Wednesday, citing an unidentified 'leading Japanese rare earth buyer.' 'The Chinese government has requested exporters to demonstrate support for the Chinese situation and suspend exports of rare earths to Japan until the end of the month when the situation will be reviewed,' said Industrial Minerals owner and former mining executive Dudley Kingsnorth.

'It's very regrettable if we have the effective suspension of commercial contracts for political reasons.'

True or false, the reports may fuel concerns over China's control of more than 95 per cent of the global supply of rare earths. The US Department of Defence is this month due to complete a review of its dependency on the minerals for missile guidance systems, smart bombs and satellites.

China cut export quotas for the minerals by 72 per cent for the second half of this year, citing a shortage of supply for domestic manufacturers. The accusations of further restrictions to Japan come as Asia's two biggest economies are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the Sept 7 detention of the skipper in waters around a group of uninhabited islets and outcrops about 322 km off the northeast coast of Taiwan.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao this week demanded Japan 'immediately and unconditionally' release the skipper or face retaliatory action. Japan has refused to let him go, saying that the case is being handled in the country's court system.

China said this week it had severed senior-level government contacts after Japanese prosecutors extended the captain's detention until Sept 29. Japan's foreign ministry on Sept 20 said China had revoked an invitation for 1,000 youths to attend the Shanghai World Expo, and ticket sales for two concerts in the city by pop band SMAP were suspended, Asahi newspaper reported.

Mr Kingsnorth, who managed the Mount Weld rare earths project for Ashton Mining of Canada for 10 years and has worked for BHP Billiton Ltd, Rio Tinto and Alcoa, said China's actions to restrict trade in rare earths would only spur buyers to develop alternative supplies.

Rare earths are a group of chemically similar metallic elements, including lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and europium. They are used in radar, high- powered magnets, mini hard-drives in laptop computers, catalytic converters for vehicles, electric-car batteries and wind turbines. Many are difficult to substitute with alternatives.

While relatively abundant in the earth's crust, finding deposits of rare earths significant enough to mine is less common, the US Geological Survey says.

China, the countries that made up the former Soviet Union and the US have the largest reserves. China's shipments will be capped at 7,976 tonnes, down from 28,417 tonnes for the same period a year ago.

Rising demand for hybrid cars and music players have already driven up demand and prices for rare earths, even without China's export restrictions. -- Bloomberg
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby winston » Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:14 pm

Could US Rare Earth, Inc’s Contract with Boeing Accelerate the Discovery of Enough Rare Earth Metals to Satisfy the US Supply Chain?

A big story in the rare earth metals world hit the press yesterday as US Rare Earth announced a contract with Boeing to employ some of their technology which, when fully implemented, could scan wide areas from airplanes or satellites, and identify rare earth elements or other substances based upon their spectral fingerprints , according to TechNewsDaily.

The story highlights the level of importance companies like Boeing have placed on rare earth metals and the lack of operating US rare earth metal supply chains.

Boeing has specifically examined the samples from deposits of US Rare Earth’s (USRE) Lemhi Pass in their laboratory and has identified high concentrations of individual rare earth elements.

The laboratory tests are now being taken to the next step in the process as Boeing has been contracted by USRE to complete the “ground truthing” of the claims in the field.

http://agmetalminer.com/2010/09/22/coul ... ply-chain/
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby winston » Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:50 pm

by stilicon » Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:45 pm

Interesting note about the REEs today (via Mauldin) :

http://web.stratfor.com/images/writers/ ... 9617327557
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Re: Rare Earth Metals

Postby winston » Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:53 pm

Rare Earths: production squeeze, stock bubble
Author: Geoff Candy

What is decidedly less certain, however, is the fate of the majority of the 150 newly-minted, rare earth focused stock issues.

Speaking to Mineweb.com's Metals Weekly Podcast, independent consultant on the rare earths sector, Jack Lifton, explains that in the last 24 months, the world has gone from having around 7 or 8 rare-earth themed miners to 150 currently listed on markets like Perth, Toronto and Vancouver.

According to Lifton, in all likelihood only four or five of these companies will survive, "the other 145 will simply vanish."

This is especially the case when one considers that it is not even clear if there will be a shortage in the next few years, it looks as if there is but there is actually just one commentator producing this shortage figure and the whole world is repeating it. And we don't really know.

In particular, Lifton says, "the Chinese don't know what their own production is, that's why they are consolidating and trying to figure out how much they do produce, how much they can produce and how much they should produce for their own extremely fast growing domestic demand.

"There is enough rare earth production capacity coming on line in the West in the next two to three years so that China will no longer be able to do dominate the market so if they don't use this "weapon" if you want to call it that they will never again be able to do so again because, more important than the production of rare earth ore concentrates is the fact that there is a revival of the supply chain."

It is this difference between the so called heavy and light rare earths that investors need to be careful of. All rare earth deposits contain all of the minerals but in almost all cases they are heavily weighted toward light metals like cerium, lanthanum neodymium. See

According to Lifton, "If a mine today, a small mine, does not have dysprosium, then you should not invest in it because it will never be able to compete with the Chinese, Lynus or Molycorp. Dysprosium is the key heavy rare earth which is critical for manufacturing rare earth permanent magnets that can operate at high temperatures such as under the hood of a car or in an air craft or space craft.

"The real problem, he explains, is that, "of the lets say the estimated 120 000 tonnes of rare earths produced last year, 1% was dysprosium and 100% of that was produced in China. But the Chinese are saying they think they are running out of that critical material and they are looking for new sources. So far, they tell us, they haven't found any new resources in China ."

The other important metal to look out for, he says, is Terbium which is critical for non-incandescent lighting. "Terbium is produced in 0.02 of all the production and only in China.

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/min ... pid=102055
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