Rare earth: not so rare it

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dede2002
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Rare earth: not so rare it




by dede2002 » 17/04/17, 12:47

In my old school memories, lanthanides (rare earths) were quickly approached as a group of rare metals (used).

Since then, we use them more and more.

But they are not rare, for example there is more cerium on earth than copper, and more neodymium than cobalt, silver or iodine ...

What is rare, it is to find places where one accepts to exploit them!

In the article below we learn that to get 1 tons of rare earths, you have to stir 100'000 tons of soil, which generates 2000 tons of toxic waste and 1000 tons of polluted water, for just 1 ton .. .

http://craadoi-mada.com/lexploitation-t ... adagascar/

This project aims to produce 10'000 tons per year, between 5% and 10% * of current world consumption (which is likely to increase significantly or even massively in the future). Imagine that we propose this kind of industry in France!

It seems that the company Tantalus is Mauritian, based in Germany, and mandated (funded) by Chinese to prospect rare earths out of China, for obvious reasons mentioned above.

The "rare earths" are currently used among others:

Permanent magnets (neodymium): 20%

automotive catalysts: 13% (for the ecology, or rather the comfort of city dwellers)

oil refinery catalysts: 13%

nimh batteries and lighting: 10%

armament etc ...; ? %

With the "fashion" of "clean" energies, demand is likely to explode, and the Malagasy people, for example, will be given clean energy projects by large groups financed (on credit obviously) by the World Bank, with rare earths that we will have, so to speak, stolen from them.

In short, it seems that the only clean electricity is the one we do not use ...

* So there is already 10 or 20 holdings of this caliber on Earth.

other sources:
http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Une-p ... 22964.html
http://www.mineralinfo.fr/sites/default ... public.pdf
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanide
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by dede2002 » 18/04/17, 15:11

An error concerning the catalysts of cars, they consume 13% cerium, which corresponds to 6% of rare earth use.

Another important point, the storage of hydrogen, is talked about a lot in clean energy speeches, but we do not use much of it yet, compared to oil.

"Metallurgical alloys other than those for NiMH batteries account for 11% of the quantities of Rare Earths consumed on a global scale, or 12 t of OTR in 540 (cf.
tab.6).

As a foam, the LaNi alloy can absorb up to 400 times its own volume of hydrogen.
It can therefore be used to store hydrogen for generators
electric (in particular fuel cells) "
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by moinsdewatt » 18/04/17, 21:23

Another big project in Tanzania:


Tanzania: Peak Resources Obtains Environmental Approval in Ngualla

Image

Ecofin Agency 20 Mars 2017

Peak Resources Mining Company has been awarded an environmental license for its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania.

"The granting of the environmental license for Ngualla represents a major step in the process of issuing a mining permit. With the bankable feasibility study also being finalized, this will allow us to apply for a mining license for the project, "said CEO Darren Townsend.

The Ngualla deposit, held at 100% by Peak Resources, is located on the East African rift and would have a resource of 170 million tonnes, with a content of 2,24% rare earth oxide, which 5 ranks the world's largest rare earth deposits, outside of China.


http://www.agenceecofin.com/terres-rare ... -a-ngualla

Then:


Tanzania: Ngualla can become one of the world's cheapest and highest quality rare earth projects [study]

Ecofin Agency 12 April 2017

Peak Resources released Wednesday the results of the bankable feasibility study (BFS) of its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania. The study conducted by the company's team of experts, in collaboration with the firm Amec Foster Wheeler, brings significant cost savings to the project, which could become one of the largest in the world.

The project is expected to require 356 $ 1 million capital expenditures prior to production start-up with annual operating costs of 83 $ million. It is expected to generate annual revenue of 228 $ million, a free cash flow of 104 $ million. The internal rate of return has been estimated at 21%.

In addition, BFS estimates that 30 is the life of the mine, based on a mineralization zone hosting only 22% of the total mineral resources of the project. Ngualla is expected to produce annually 2 420 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium (rare earth oxides), 530 t of samarium, europium, gadolinium (rare earth carbonates), 3 005 t of cerium carbonate and 6 940 t of lanthanum carbonate .

After the recent obtaining of an environmental authorization, the realization of the BFS is a new important step in the development of the project. Peak Resources now plans to start negotiations for financing and levy agreements, and at the same time to apply for a license to operate.

The project includes the development of the Ngualla rare earth mine and a refinery in the United Kingdom.

http://www.agenceecofin.com/terres-rare ... onde-etude
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dede2002
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by dede2002 » 20/04/17, 22:39

Thank you for the information!

It is surprising to note that in the Malagasy case a concentration of 0,08% of OTR (Rare Earth Oxides) is indicated and in Tanzania 2.24% of OTR is indicated :?:

Huge difference, typo or different measurement protocol?

Not a word about the environmental damage, nor the fate of the displaced peasants ...
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by Exnihiloest » 22/04/17, 18:46

Neodymium is needed for the manufacture of magnets in wind turbine generators.
One must know what one wants. Whatever you do, there will always be an impact on the environment. The question is only the ratio of advantages versus disadvantages to do or not to do.
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by Ahmed » 22/04/17, 20:25

The advantages / disadvantages ratio is easy to establish, which helps the final decision: on one side a maximum of annoyances for the Malagasy and the preservation of our comfort on the other ... : roll: (or more exactly, the safeguarding of a particular conception of comfort).
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by Exnihiloest » 22/04/17, 22:16

The advantages / disadvantages ratio is extremely difficult to establish because it concerns very different domains and is difficult to compare when no one has the same scale of values. A cookie cutter response is never anything but the result of a bias. Even detailed studies would be complicated.
As for neodymium, it mainly concerns China, not Madagascar or any third world country.
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by dede2002 » 22/04/17, 22:19

Exnihiloest wrote:One must know what one wants. Whatever you do, there will always be an impact on the environment.


The big hypocrisy is that we often repeat that Malagasy biodiversity is to be safeguarded at all costs, because we can find molecules to make new drugs, to cure current and future diseases of the haves (who eat too much), pointing the Malagasy who supposedly destroy their forests, and at the same time they are put pressure, because they have a debt to repay (not even 1 / 10 wealth of a single man of the richest while they are 22 millions), forcing them to accept this kind of projects led by large groups that only theoretically contribute about 1% of their turnover to the state (examples are numerous, titanium, cobalt , oil etc ...)
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by dede2002 » 22/04/17, 22:23

Exnihiloest wrote:As for neodymium, it mainly concerns China, not Madagascar or any third world country.


Have you read the articles?

The Chinese want to relocate production, because of environmental damage.

We could dig in France there are also, to release 150'000 tons (conso world annual) you just have to return 15 billion tons of earth ...
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Re: Rare earths: not so rare




by Ahmed » 23/04/17, 14:25

The advantages / disadvantages ratio is extremely difficult to establish because it concerns very different domains and is difficult to compare when no one has the same scale of values. A cookie cutter response is never anything but the result of a bias. Even detailed studies would be complicated.

To suppose a difficulty because of multiple subjective factors is only an elegant way of drowning the fish under an apparent objectivity: the decisive factor here is the balance of power existing between those who choose "freely" to privilege their comfort and those who accept just as "freely" to sacrifice themselves (to use your specious terminology).
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