What are the 17 rare earth metals and why are they important for future technology?

Rare earth metals are a group of 17 chemical elements that exhibit unique magnetic, catalytic, and optical properties.

The 17 chemical elements that make up the rare earth metals (also known as rare earth elements) are:

1.     Scandium (Sc)

2.     Yttrium (Y)

3.     Lanthanum (La)

4.     Cerium (Ce)

5.     Praseodymium (Pr)

6.     Neodymium (Nd)

7.     Promethium (Pm)

8.     Samarium (Sm)

9.     Europium (Eu)

10.  Gadolinium (Gd)

11.  Terbium (Tb)

12.  Dysprosium (Dy)

13.  Holmium (Ho)

14.  Erbium (Er)

15.  Thulium (Tm)

16.  Ytterbium (Yb)

17.  Lutetium (Lu)

Found in the Lanthanides section of the periodic table (but also include Scandium and Yttrium), they are important for future technology because they are essential components in a wide range of high-tech products, including smartphones, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and advanced medical equipment.

Rare earth metals enable these devices to be smaller, faster, and more efficient, and they are also crucial for the development of emerging technologies like renewable energy, quantum computing, and advanced materials.

However, their extraction and refining process can be environmentally damaging, and there are concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities due to their uneven distribution around the world.