Rare Earth Elements

SciShow

28 Feb 201204:15

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses lanthanides, a group of elements crucial for modern technology like laptops and wind turbines. Despite their importance, extracting and refining them is challenging and produces hazardous waste. China dominates the rare-earth market, raising geopolitical concerns over supply. Alternative refineries are emerging, but dealing with toxic by-products remains a challenge.

Takeaways

📚 Lanthanides and actinides are special groups of elements placed at the bottom of the periodic table to keep the table compact.
🌐 Lanthanides are crucial for modern technology, including laptops, cell phones, plasma TVs, solar panels, wind turbines, and pollution control equipment.
💸 Despite their importance, lanthanides are challenging to extract and refine due to their widespread distribution in small concentrations.
🚫 The refining process of rare-earth elements generates significant low-level radioactive waste, posing environmental and health risks.
🌏 China dominates the market for processing rare-earth metals, handling about 95% of the world's supply, which raises geopolitical concerns.
💰 China's control over rare-earth metals gives it significant political and economic leverage, potentially affecting global supply chains.
🏭 Other countries, including the United States, are investing in cleaner and more expensive rare-earth refineries to reduce dependence on China.
🔬 A reopened rare-earth mine in California is attempting to address environmental concerns with innovative solutions like covering toxic waste with plastic balls.
🌱 The environmental impact of rare-earth mining and refining is a significant concern, with some processes creating vast amounts of acidic waste.
🔍 The script encourages viewers to learn more about rare-earth elements, their controversies, and their importance through provided resources and social media engagement.

Q & A

What are lanthanides and why are they placed at the bottom of the periodic table?
-Lanthanides are a group of 15 metallic elements with atomic numbers 57 to 71. They are placed at the bottom of the periodic table because their inclusion in the main table would make it too large to fit on a standard paper size, so they are set apart to conserve space.
How are lanthanides used in modern technology?
-Lanthanides are used in various modern technologies such as laptops, cell phones, plasma screen TVs, solar panels, wind turbines, catalytic converters in cars, and pollution control equipment in coal-fired power plants.
What is the dark side of lanthanides mentioned in the script?
-The dark side of lanthanides refers to the difficulty in extracting and refining them, which results in the production of large amounts of low-level radioactive waste, posing environmental and health risks.
Why are rare-earth elements called 'rare' despite being relatively common?
-Rare-earth elements are called 'rare' because they are not found in large concentrations and tend to mix with other minerals, making them difficult to extract in pure form.
What role does China play in the processing of rare-earth metals?
-China has been processing about 95% of the world's rare-earth metals due to the lack of desire for dealing with the associated toxic waste in other countries. However, their refineries are often poorly regulated or illegal, leading to significant environmental issues.
What are the geopolitical implications of China's dominance in rare-earth processing?
-China's dominance in rare-earth processing gives it significant political power, as it could potentially withhold critical elements like neodymium, impacting the production of new wind turbines and high-powered electric motors for hybrid cars.
What measures are being taken to reduce dependency on China for rare-earth processing?
-Countries, including the United States, are building more expensive and cleaner rare-earth refineries to reduce their dependency on China, despite the associated higher costs and challenges in waste management.
What is the significance of the reopening of a rare-earth mine in California after being shut down in 1998?
-The reopening of the rare-earth mine in California signifies an attempt to reduce reliance on foreign sources and to address the environmental concerns by implementing new waste management strategies, such as covering toxic waste water pools with plastic balls to prevent evaporation.
How does the script describe the environmental impact of rare-earth mining and refining?
-The script describes the environmental impact as severe, mentioning 'giant sizzling lakes of acidic waste' and 'unholy godforsaken mess' as a result of the lack of regulation and illegal practices in some refineries.
What are some of the challenges faced in managing the toxic by-products of rare-earth refining?
-The challenges include finding effective and environmentally safe ways to handle low-level radioactive waste, as well as the high costs associated with cleaner refining processes.

Outlines

00:00

🧪 Lanthanides: The Periodic Table's Hidden Gems

The script introduces lanthanides as a group of elements located in their own section at the bottom of the periodic table. Despite their name suggesting rarity, they are common but hard to find in large quantities. Lanthanides are crucial for modern technologies such as laptops, cell phones, plasma TVs, solar panels, wind turbines, and pollution control equipment. They are often found mixed with other minerals, making extraction and refining a complex and messy process that results in low-level radioactive waste.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Lanthanides

Lanthanides are a series of 15 metallic elements in the periodic table, with atomic numbers 57 to 71. They are characterized by their large, often colorful, blocks on the table and are known for their unique electronic properties. In the video, lanthanides are highlighted for their critical role in modern technology, such as in laptops, cell phones, and solar panels. The script emphasizes their importance to 21st-century life, despite their placement at the bottom of the periodic table, which is due to their complex chemistry and the historical challenge of separating them from each other.

💡Actinides

Actinides are a series of 15 radioactive elements with atomic numbers 89 to 103, located at the bottom of the periodic table. They are associated with nuclear energy and weaponry due to their radioactive properties. The video script mentions actinides in contrast to lanthanides, noting their potential dangers and the fact that they contain elements used in nuclear weapons, which is a stark contrast to the beneficial uses of lanthanides.

💡Rare-earth elements

Rare-earth elements (REEs) is a term that collectively refers to the 15 lanthanides plus scandium, yttrium, and sometimes actinium. They are called 'rare' not because of their scarcity but because of their challenging extraction and refining processes. The video discusses the prevalence of REEs in various technologies but also points out the difficulty and environmental impact of their mining and refining, which has led to a reliance on Chinese refineries.

💡Nuclear weapons

Nuclear weapons are weapons that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions. The script mentions that actinides contain elements used in the creation of nuclear weapons, highlighting the dual-use nature of these elements. This contrasts with lanthanides, which are used for peaceful, beneficial purposes in technology.

💡Refining

Refining in the context of the video refers to the process of purifying rare-earth elements from the ores they are found in. It is described as a difficult and environmentally harmful process, resulting in low-level radioactive waste. The video uses the term to illustrate the challenges and negative externalities associated with obtaining rare-earth elements, which are essential for many modern technologies.

💡Toxic waste

Toxic waste is a byproduct of various industrial processes, including the refining of rare-earth elements. The video script describes the mountains of low-level radioactive waste produced as a result of refining, which is a significant environmental concern. It also mentions the Chinese refineries' lack of regulation and the resulting environmental mess, emphasizing the need for better management and cleaner processes.

💡China

China is highlighted in the video as the dominant player in the rare-earth elements market, processing about 95% of the world's rare-earth metals. The script discusses China's significant economic and political power in this sector, which allows them to influence global supply and potentially wield it as a form of leverage, such as by withholding neodymium, which is crucial for electric motors and wind turbines.

💡Neodymium

Neodymium is a rare-earth element used in the production of strong, lightweight magnets. The video mentions neodymium as an example of a critical element that, if withheld by China, could severely impact the production of new wind turbines and high-powered electric motors for hybrid cars. This underscores the importance of rare-earth elements in sustainable technology.

💡Catalytic converter

A catalytic converter is a device used in automobiles to reduce toxic emissions. The video script mentions that lanthanides are used in catalytic converters to make cars less harmful to the environment. This example illustrates the practical applications of rare-earth elements in pollution control and environmental protection.

💡Plasma screen TVs

Plasma screen TVs are a type of display technology that uses plasma cells to produce images. The video script includes plasma screen TVs as one of the many technologies made possible by lanthanides, specifically highlighting their use in phosphors that emit light when excited by an electric current, demonstrating their role in consumer electronics.

💡Wind turbines

Wind turbines are devices that convert the energy of wind into electrical power. The video mentions wind turbines as an example of technology that relies on rare-earth elements, particularly neodymium for the strong magnets used in their construction. This highlights the importance of rare-earth elements in renewable energy solutions.

Highlights

Lanthanum and the lanthanides are crucial for modern technologies such as laptops, cell phones, plasma screens, solar panels, and wind turbines.

Lanthanides are located at the bottom of the periodic table to keep the table compact.

Actinides contain elements used in nuclear weapons and are also placed at the bottom of the periodic table.

Lanthanum and lanthanides are responsible for many 21st-century technological advancements.

Despite their name, rare-earth elements like lanthanides are relatively common but are difficult to find in large concentrations.

Extracting and refining rare-earth elements is challenging and produces low-level radioactive waste.

China has become the primary processor of rare-earth metals, handling about 95% of the global refining.

Lack of regulation and illegal practices in Chinese refineries have led to environmental issues.

China's dominance in rare-earth processing gives it significant political and economic power.

Other countries, including the US, are building cleaner and more expensive rare-earth refineries.

The reopening of a rare-earth mine in California after a 1998 shutdown due to toxic leakage.

Innovative solutions, such as covering toxic waste water pools with plastic balls, are being implemented to prevent evaporation.

The periodic table's design is a compromise to fit all elements on a single sheet of paper.

The lanthanides' role in pollution control equipment for coal-fired power plants.

The potential negative impact on the environment and human health due to improper handling of rare-earth waste.

The geopolitical implications of China's control over the rare-earth market and its potential to disrupt global supply chains.

The economic and environmental challenges faced by countries attempting to establish their own rare-earth refineries.

The importance of finding sustainable solutions for the by-products of rare-earth element processing.