Rare earth metals Won't be the same As Rare Industrial Metals I read articles from other writers who often reference Rare Industrial or Technical Metals as Rare Earth elements. I have to take the time and clean up the matter. I handle RIMs and REEs every day. The 2 might both be looked at metals but that's the location where the similarities end.
First we have REEs or Rare Earth Elements. These metals include 17 metals, the Lanthanides plus Scandium and Yttrium on the periodic table with the elements. These metals are in a powder form, which makes them challenging to assay and store. One essential aspect that's often mentioned is they usually are not rare. This is extremely true, but finding REEs in large deposits is difficult.
Inside the mining sector REE mines are standalone mines, that focus on the mining and refining of REEs exclusively. Currently around 97% of all REEs are mined and refined in China. Historically REE mining and refining is a dirty business, which includes affected the surroundings around the mines. The elements Thorium and Uranium in many cases are found combined with REEs within the deposits causing the slurry to be slightly radioactive when processed. The usage of highly toxic acids during the processing may also have serious environmental impact. A lot of companies are attempting to open REE mines however they are meeting headwinds, as nations and individuals don't need these mines inside their backyard.
Throughout the last several years China has dramatically cut its export of REEs. This and also the increased dependence on REEs have caused a meteoric rise in value of these metals. The main one area that hardly any people speak about will be the role with the media combined with speculators in raising value of REE ETF´s particularly. For the last couple years REEs were the rock stars of the metals. What is the news has calmed as of late, but the demand and supply factors that caused the metals to soar are still in place. Recently China closed its BaoTao mine until REE prices stabilize.
rare earth element stocksRare Industrial Metals, RIM´s or Technical metals are another group entirely. The RIM´s include metals found in over 80% of most products we use on an every day basis. Without these metals you wouldn't possess the arena of the Twenty-first century with your cell phones, compounds, flat screen TV´s, highly efficient solar technology and computers. Many of these metals include Indium, Tellurium, Gallium, Tantalum and Hafnium. These metals are really rare compared to the Rare Earth Metals which causes a lot of confusion. These metals will be in a metallic form, stable and simple to keep and ship.
RIM´s are mined like a by-product of base or common metal mining. As an example Tellurium can be a by-product of Copper mining and Gallium is a by-product of Aluminum and Zinc mining. The mining from the RIM´s currently are typically susceptible to the markets for your base or common metal mining. In the event the Copper mines of the world choose to cut production as a result of Copper losing value, this can get this amazing effect on the quantity of Tellurium that can be refined. Up until now, because of the previous small size of the RIM market, many companies do not wish to invest money into better technology to mine and refine these metals. The RIM´s would need to be valued greater to get the attention of the mining industry.
When China cut exports of REEs they also cut exports of RIM´s. This put pressure on the worth of these metals. RIM´s have risen in value, but nowhere nearby the meteoric rise from the REEs. Most of the metals increased in value around 47% in 2010 and 25% to date in 2011. There is still lots of room for development in the value of these metals (not based on speculation like REEs) as demand is exceeding supply now and in the long run.
rare earth element stocksFor Example, when REEs as well as the stock trading game recently fell sharply the RIM´s came down slightly in value but have held their particular extremely well. Over a further note, according to Knut Andersen of Swiss Metal Assets, ¨Even though prices from the Rare Industrial Metals continue to go up in value, consumers will eventually only visit a really small boost in the price of the conclusion products, since there is so very little of each and every metal used to produce these items. And if the folks can´t afford a smartphone they are going to still buy less expensive phones that still make use of the same Rare Industrial Metals¨.
The necessity for RIM´s has risen sharply over the years and definately will carry on growing at astronomical rates. China, India, Latin america as well as the whole of Africa with vast sums of recent individuals are now buying and taking advantage of computers and cell phones to name just a few products.
The future is bright for your technologies and the Rare Industrial Metals that make them work as well as for anybody who participates in stockpiling these metals now to satisfy future increased demand.