稀土是17种 稀有元素的统称。
The 17 rare-earth elements are
cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy),
erbium (Er),
europium(Eu), gadolinium (Gd),
holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La),
lutetium (Lu), neodymium(Nd),
praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm),
samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc),
terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm),
ytterbium (Yb), and yttrium (Y).
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China's position as the world's dominant producer and supplier of rare earths (97% of total output)。
一说中国稀土产量占全球总产量的 70% 以上，甚至高达97%。
稀土在华的贮藏量 为地球的40% （？）
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Rare earths aren’t particularly rare. Cerium, the most abundant, is more common in the Earth’s crust than copper. All other rare-earth elements, besides promethium, can be found more widely than silver, gold, or platinum, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, concentrated and economic deposits are scarce, and production is dominated by a handful of countries. China is the biggest by far, accounting for almost 70% of global production and 40% of the world’s reserves, USGS data show.
Rare But Everywhere
Rare-earth elements have widespread uses in defense, energy and technology
徐光宪（1920年11月7日－2015年4月28日），浙江绍兴人，中国物理化学家、无机化学家、教育家，中国科学院院士，北京大学化学与分子工程学院教授，稀土材料化学国家重点实验室学术委员会名誉主任，中国稀土之父，稀土工业奠基人。【徐光宪于1936年考入浙江大学高工土木科。1944年毕业于交通大学化学系；1951年获美国哥伦比亚大学博士学位，师从C.D.Beckmann教授。回国后在北京大学任教。1980年当选为中国科学院化学部院士。1993年7月浙江大学化学系兼职教授。2012年3月担任北京浙大校友会化工分会名誉会长。【 徐光宪与合作者在量子化学领域中，提出了原子价的新概念nxcπ结构规则和分子的周期律、同系线性规律的量子化学基础和稀土化合物的电子结构特征，被授予国家自然科学二等奖，他编著的《物质结构》被授予国家优秀教材特等奖。他创建的“串级萃取理论”解决了稀土分离的难题，在全国普遍推广应用后，使中国单一高纯稀土的生产与外贸占到全世界90%以上的份额，迫使美日稀土分离厂停产，取得国际领先水平和巨大的经济及社会效益。【 2015年4月28日上午，徐光宪因病医治无效，在北京逝世，享年95岁。-------------
Rare earths aren’t particularly rare. Cerium, the most abundant, is more common in the Earth’s crust than copper. All other rare-earth elements, besides promethium, can be found more widely than silver, gold, or platinum, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, concentrated and economic deposits are scarce, and production is dominated by a handful of countries. China is the biggest by far, accounting for almost 70% of global production and 40% of the world’s reserves, USGS data show.
China’s rare earth market is dominated by a handful of producers including China Northern Rare Earth Group, Minmetals Rare Earth Co., Xiamen Tungsten Co. and Chinalco Rare Earth & Metals Co. The nation has form in using the elements to make a political point. It blocked exports to Japan after a maritime dispute in 2010, although the consequent spike in prices saw a flurry of activity to secure supplies elsewhere, which would be the risk again if Beijing follows through with its threat of retaliation.
China Northern rose as much as 9.3% in Shanghai, while Lynas Corp., the biggest producer of rare earth products outside China, added as much as 16% in Sydney. Hong Kong-listed China Rare Earth Holdings Ltd. spiked as much as 41% and has doubled in value in May.
China’s stranglehold is so strong that the U.S. joined with other nations earlier this decade in a World Trade Organization case to force the nation to export more amid a global shortage. The WTO ruled in favor of America, while prices eventually slumped as manufacturers turned to alternatives.
In December 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reduce the country’s dependence on external sources of critical minerals, including rare earths, which was aimed at reducing U.S. vulnerability to supply disruptions.
