Editing The New Gold Rush Fueled by Cell Phones and Televisions
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Did you know that the color images for cellular phones and TVs are created by rare earth elements such as cerium, praseodymium and lanthanum? They additionally make magnets lighter, balance the colors of fluorescent lights and contribute to wind turbines and the regenerative brakes of hybrid autos. Here's the reason they have not been unearthed in the US, where they are widespread, especially at previous gold and silver mine sites. "The reason they haven't been explored for in the U.S. was because as long as China was prepared to export enough rare earths to fill the demand, everything was fine — like with the oil cartels. When China began to use them as a political tool, people began to see the vulnerability to the U.S. economy to having one source of rare earth elements," said Ian Ridley, director of the USGS Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center in Colorado. Two years ago, China raised prices — in the case of Neodymium, used to make Prius electric motors stronger and lighter, from $15 a kilogram in 2009 to $500 in 2011, while Dysprosium oxide used in lasers and halide lamps went from $114 a kilogram in 2010 to $2,830 in 2011. It's also about the time China cut off supplies to Japan, maker of the Prius, in a dispute over international fishing territory. To read the original of this short article, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gold-rush-era-discards-could-fuel-cellphones-tvs-133752521.html"> click on this link </a> Let's take a look at these "rare earth" elements in additional detail. <b> Neodymium</b> is a silvery metal that tarnishes in air. Despite being considered a rare element, it exists in different components of the globe and no more unusual compared to copper, cobalt or nickel. It is extremely helpful in our modern globe. Here are just a few of its uses when made into highly effective, permanent magnets, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodymium) "These magnets are widely used in such products as microphones, professional loudspeakers, in-ear headphones, and computer hard disks, where low magnet mass or volume, or strong magnetic fields are required. Larger neodymium magnets are used in electric motors (for example in hybrid cars) and generators, for example aircraft and wind turbine electric generators". <b>Praseodymium</b> is used to color glass and additionally has magnetic, chemical, electric and optical properties. It is used in industry to filter yellow lighting from light sources. <b>Cerium</b> is used in fluorescent lights and is the most plentiful of all the rare earth elements, according to Wikipedia. "Commercial applications of cerium are numerous. They include catalysts, additives to fuel to reduce emissions and to glass and enamels to change their color. Cerium oxide is an important component of glass polishing powders and phosphors used in screens and fluorescent lamps. It is also used in the "flint" (actually ferrocerium) of lighters." There is <b>Lanthanum</b>, frequently found in combination with Cerium." Lanthanum compounds have various applications as catalysts, additives in glass, carbon illumination for studio lighting and projection, ignition elements in lighters, electron cathodes, scintillators, tig welding electrodes, and others. Lanthanum carbonate (La2(CO3)3) has actually been approved as a medicine for dealing with kidney failure." With these aspects so valuable and necessary, the good news is that they are readily available in the US and maybe various other areas as well. This will offer brand-new jobs and stop the monopoly China has actually enjoyed. It appears paradoxical that the brand-new miners will be going through the tailings of old mines for stones the original miners disposed of. As the saying goes, someone's waste is another person's treasure. I would certainly additionally like to see some of these electronic machines reused in a safe, eco-friendly means. Perhaps some of these rare earth elements can additionally be reused. Victoria Graper writes for the company, Internet on the Go, a company that specializes in cellular phone accesories and mobile sites. For additional info on these products kindly <a href="http://net-on-the-go.com/awesomeholders"> click here </a>
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