Abstract
The rare earths group consists of 15 elements from Lanthanum to Yttrium and these 15 elements are contained in the rare earths ores. The composition of each ore depends on the mine where the ore is mined. The fractions of 15 rare earth elements are, however, different from the global applications. Currently most of rare earth separating plants face a financial problem. The standard Cerium Oxide is now sold at around $3/kg, which cannot cover even only the operating cost in the rare earths separation plant. This problem is caused by the extreme unbalanced situation of supply and demand. There are large excesses of supply in Cerium, Yttrium and Samrium. This is not only the problem for the rare earth suppliers but also for users. All participants in the rare earth supply chain must take account of this problem and take actions to solve it.
