What Are Rare Earth Elements And Their Importance?
By: Nikhil Pandey
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13 Jan 2026
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements that include the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium
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These elements are chemically similar and often occur in the same mineral deposits
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Despite their name, they are not particularly rare in the Earth's crust, but economically viable concentrations are limited, making extraction difficult
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REEs are widely used in modern technology, including powerful magnets, motors, electronics, renewable energy devices, defense systems, and medical equipment
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They play a role in high-tech applications like fiber optics, catalysts, electric motors, wind turbines, batteries, and semiconductors
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Extraction and processing of REEs can be environmentally challenging, involving complex chemical separation techniques (though detailed environmental impacts require further study)
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China currently dominates global rare earth production and processing, controlling a large share of refining and manufacturing capacity for these materials