Rare earth elements. A new approach to the nexus of supply, demand and use: Exemplified along the use of neodymium in permanent magnets / Редкоземельные элементы. Новый подход к взаимосвязи спроса, предложения и использования

Редкоземельные элементы. Новый подход к взаимосвязи спроса, предложения и использования: на примере использования неодима в постоянных магнитах

Rare earth elements (REE) have gained enormous economic, public and increasingly scientific interest in the few recent years. Numerous headlines have appeared during the last about 4 years dealing with REE in the news and newspapers around the world, in press announcements, as short informational letters as well as numerous reports and studies from  onsultants, think tanks and governmental research groups. The vastness of the reports could lead to the conclusion that all has been said about REE, that the problems have been identified and the actions to be taken are known. Even though REE are not traded on the stock exchanges there is a market which is basically controlled by Chinese traders. The prices of REE were for some time modest until within the last 2 years the prices drove rollercoaster. Extreme price increases as well as reductions were paired with lots of uncertainties about the reasons for these price jumps. It was and probably still is unsure what the real reasons were: real physical shortages or maybe even oversupply, actual or pretended stockpiles, politics, trade or the hope for fast and big money? The fear is further aggravated by studies around the world about rare metals and rare elements which identified REE as some of the most critical materials nowadays and in the near future. As China has a de facto monopoly of the REE production and is successively restricting export, fingers are pointed on China for restricting the global supply of REE and for not doing business right. The topic of the REE got momentum in recent years with the call for ever more climate friendly systems like energy saving lamps, electric vehicles or wind turbines. Most of which can and partially must be produced with REE based materials like phosphors or permanent magnets (REPM) to achieve a reduction in size, weight and thus attain a high efficiency. This fact alone should not have gotten that much attention to the REE as they actually got. Responsible was the de facto monopoly of China as basically the only REE producer globally since several years. There not only the fact of the monopoly itself, but rather the increasing influence and control taken by the government attracted attention and fears. The absolute dependence on China for the supply of REE not only alarmed industries and governments around the globe but as well the US military which sees an unacceptable dependence on China for the homeland defense. Maybe it is not only the military which sees unwanted dependencies but also the defense industries. Several cases were brought forward to the US government which contributed to the urgency of the REE issue. <...>