Rare earth elements prices jump
Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:36 pm
Rare-earth Elements: Bloomberg reports that rare-earth prices have jumped as Chinese export quotas crimped worldwide supplies for the elements used in the manufacture of disk drives, wind turbines and smart bombs.
Prices have climbed sevenfold in the last six months for cerium oxide, which is used for polishing semiconductors, and other elements have more than doubled, according to Metal-Pages Ltd. in London, which tracks rare-earth prices.
Actions by China, which produces more than 90% of the world’s rare earths, have drawn criticism from US lawmakers and officials in Japan and Germany. China reduced its second-half export quota for the minerals by 72% in July. It is now further restricting exports, according to industry participants.
Rare-earths are 17 chemically similar metallic elements - - such as europium, yttrium and lanthanum - - which have unique magnetic, optical and other properties essential for miniaturisation, lasers and energy efficiency.
http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews ... 0836.shtml
Prices have climbed sevenfold in the last six months for cerium oxide, which is used for polishing semiconductors, and other elements have more than doubled, according to Metal-Pages Ltd. in London, which tracks rare-earth prices.
Actions by China, which produces more than 90% of the world’s rare earths, have drawn criticism from US lawmakers and officials in Japan and Germany. China reduced its second-half export quota for the minerals by 72% in July. It is now further restricting exports, according to industry participants.
Rare-earths are 17 chemically similar metallic elements - - such as europium, yttrium and lanthanum - - which have unique magnetic, optical and other properties essential for miniaturisation, lasers and energy efficiency.
http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews ... 0836.shtml