Rare Earth Elements (REE) are a group of 17 metals critical to modern technology.
They are irreplaceable in electronics, where europium is used in screens and neodymium in magnets. Electric vehicle motors rely on the REEs dysprosium and terbium. In defense, precision-guided munitions, radar systems, and night vision goggles use yttrium and lanthanum. Even LED bulbs depend on europium and yttrium. Medical MRI contrast agents and cancer treatments require gadolinium. They also are used as catalysts in chemical reactions for petroleum refining and catalytic converters.
REEs were formed during the cooling and solidification of the Earth's crust, primarily from igneous rocks such as granite and syenite.
Humans have known about REEs for 238 years. Significant advancements in understanding REEs occurred during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
