Rare earths: Relationships

Every element and industry that Rare earths is linked to, and how. Each pair has its own card explaining the relationships between the two.

• Thorium: Monazite, the mineral of India's beach sands, holds both rare earths and thorium, so every tonne of rare earths won from it brings radioactive thorium that must be separated and stored; thorium supply is set by rare-earth demand, and thorium handling in turn limits how fast monazite can be processed. (researched)
• Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft: Most electric cars, and many ships, aircraft and weapons, run on neodymium magnets whose heavy rare earths China separates almost alone, so Chinese export licensing can stop vehicle lines within weeks. (researched)
• Aerospace and defence: Aerospace and defence depends on rare earths.
• CMP slurries and pads: Rare earths is a raw material for CMP slurries and pads.
• Computers and electronics: Computers and electronics depends on rare earths.
• Education and research: Education and research depends on rare earths.
• Electric motors and drives: Electric motors and drives needs rare earths.
• Electrical equipment: Electrical equipment depends on rare earths.
• Generators and alternators: Generators and alternators needs rare earths.
• Healthcare services: Healthcare services depends on rare earths.
• Lighting and displays: Lighting and displays needs rare earths.
• Machinery and equipment: Machinery and equipment depends on rare earths.
• Medical devices: Medical devices depends on rare earths.
• Metal products: Metal products depends on rare earths.
• Offshore wind: Offshore wind needs rare earths.
• Onshore wind: Onshore wind needs rare earths.
• Plastic and rubber products: Plastic and rubber products depends on rare earths.
• Public administration, defence and security: Public administration, defence and security depends on rare earths.
• Refining catalysts: Rare earths is a raw material for refining catalysts.
• Semiconductors: Semiconductors depends on rare earths.
• Telecommunications: Telecommunications depends on rare earths.
• Water and sanitation: Water and sanitation depends on rare earths.