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"Earth" is an old-fashioned word for "ore". "Rare earth" metals are not rare in terms of crustal abundance, but earths of them (minable ore bodies with few imp
by tuatoru 2y ago
"Earth" is an old-fashioned word for "ore".
"Rare earth" metals are not rare in terms of crustal abundance, but earths of them (minable ore bodies with few impurities) are rare. These metals love hanging out with others - that's part of the reason why mining them is a dirty, toxic business.
- ggm 2y agoUncommon. But, exist in massive amounts, relative to need. So, will not be a functional limit to growth because their name, is not their availability: That's governed by investment in mining, and the cost of refinement and purification of the source. We got lazy. It's cheaper to source them from China. When people stand up proposals to open or re-open the mines in Australia, Canada, Africa, the price becomes the deciding factor, not their strategic worth. Are they as common as Iron Ore? No. Are they as rare as hen's teeth? No. It's like "the World Series" -The Name doesn't mean what people think it means: it's just the name