What is the most common rare earth metal?

The most abundant rare earth elements are cerium, yttrium, lanthanum and neodymium [2]. They have average crustal abundances that are similar to commonly used industrial metals such as chromium, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and lead [1]. Again, they are rarely found in extractable concentrations.

What group is known as the rare earth elements?

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 15 elements referred to as the lanthanide series in the periodic table of elements. Scandium and yttrium, while not true REEs, are also included in this categorization because they exhibit similar properties to the lanthanides and are found in the same ore bodies.

Why are the rare earth metals called rare?

They are known as “rare” because it is very unusual to find them in a pure form, but it turns out there are deposits of some of them all over the world – cerium, for example, is the 25th most common element on the planet. The term “earth” is simply an archaic term for something you can dissolve in acid.

Where are the rare earth metals found?

Rare-earth ore deposits are found all over the world. The major ores are in China, the United States, Australia, and Russia, while other viable ore bodies are found in Canada, India, South Africa, and southeast Asia.

How many rare earth metals are there?

17 elements
The rare earths, a collection of 17 elements including the lanthanides—lanthanum to lutetium—along with scandium and yttrium, have become indispensable components in many essential technologies of modern life, including smart phones, LEDs, and medical imaging.

Does Pakistan have rare earth metals?

Pakistan has deposits of several minerals including coal, copper, gold, chromite, mineral salt, bauxite and several other minerals. These include peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby, emerald, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, and many varieties and types of quartz .