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None of those used in solar panels are lanthanides. Current EVs use some lanthanides in magnets (soon to be displaced, as noted), but not in the batteries. Pe
by moloch-hai 4y ago
None of those used in solar panels are lanthanides.
Current EVs use some lanthanides in magnets (soon to be displaced, as noted), but not in the batteries.
Permanent magnets are used mainly in the smallest wind turbines, where offshore turbines are the biggest.
- culi 4y agoI see. I didn't realize "rare earth minerals" had a specific chemical definition
- moloch-hai 4y ago"Rare-earth" means lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. But scandium and yttrium are not used in magnets, so they would confuse people less by saying "lanthanide magnet" instead of "rare-earth magnet".
- culi 4y agoThere's actually 17 rare earth minerals. The Wikipedia page for it helpfully lists out common uses for each of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_element https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_element
- kragen 4y ago17 elements, but many more minerals in fact, almost all minerals contain trace amounts of rare-earth elements (and non-trace amounts are very rare)
- moloch-hai 4y ago15 of the 17 "rare-earth" elements are lanthanides. The remaining scandium and yttrium are not lanthanides.
- culi 4y agoah makes sense, thanks
- a3w 4y agoIt's just a name. They are not necessarily rare. It should be "certain transition metals", but transition is not what it seems in regard to "changing" in the common sense, either.
- a3w 4y agoIt's just a name. They are not necessarily rare. It should be "certain transition metals", but transition is not what it seems in regard to "changing" in the common sense, either. So, certain metals, it is.
- a3w 4y agoIt's just a name. They are not necessarily rare. It should be "certain transition metals", but transition is not what it seems in regard to "changing" in the common sense, either. So, certain metal ores, it is.