Rare-Earth Minerals

Rare-earth minerals are minerals that contain one or more of the 17 rare earth elements, a group comprising the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. These elements are used in technologies including permanent magnets, electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, electronics, catalysts, medical equipment, and defense systems. Despite their name, rare earth elements are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but economically viable deposits with concentrations suitable for extraction are less common. Their separation and refining can be technically complex because the elements have similar chemical properties. Important rare-earth-bearing minerals include monazite, bastnäsite, and xenotime.