Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements comprising the lanthanides (lanthanum to lutetium) plus scandium and yttrium, characterized by partially filled 4f electron shells that confer unique magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties. In geochemistry and materials science, REEs are typically divided into light and heavy subgroups based on atomic number and ionic radius, which control partitioning behavior, coordination chemistry, and lattice incorporation in minerals. Their coherent but subtly fractionated behavior in magmatic, metamorphic, and sedimentary processes makes REE patterns powerful tracers of source composition, redox conditions, and fluid–rock interaction in Earth and planetary systems.
New research from a team at Trinity College Dublin has unearthed a cheap and environmentally friendly new option for removing pollutants from our water. The key? Oyster shells that would ordinarily end up in landfill sites ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 26, 2026
0
26
A clean energy future hinges on minerals such as copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements. But the race to secure them puts pressure on the places where they are mined. With some supply and processing concentrated ...
Environment
Mar 6, 2026
0
27
Recently, a research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully grew a high-entropy garnet-structured oxide crystal and achieved enhanced laser performance at the 2.8 ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 5, 2026
0
33
In collaboration with the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Oshima College, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) succeeded in developing a new regenerator material composed solely of abundant elements, ...
Condensed Matter
Feb 3, 2026
1
29
Sediment containing rare earth was retrieved from ocean depths of 6,000 meters (about 20,000 feet) on a Japanese test mission, the government said Monday, as it seeks to curb dependence on China for the valuable minerals.
Earth Sciences
Feb 2, 2026
0
54
Rare-earth magnets are essential for electric motors in vehicles, drones, and trains, forming the backbone of modern, environmentally friendly mobility. These are not simple blocks of metal, but carefully engineered materials ...
Nanophysics
Jan 27, 2026
0
76
Georgetown University researchers have discovered a new class of strong magnets that do not rely on rare-earth or precious metals—a breakthrough that could significantly advance clean energy technologies and consumer electronics ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 18, 2026
3
742
As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent's biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.
Ecology
Dec 20, 2025
0
130
Scientists have discovered a fern from South China that naturally forms tiny crystals containing rare earth elements (REEs). This breakthrough opens the door to a promising new way of "green mining" of these minerals called ...
Today's high-tech electronics and green energy technologies would not function without rare earth elements (REEs). These 17 metals possess unique properties essential to creating items like the phosphors that illuminate our ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 13, 2025
1
100
