Sep 4, 2021
Japan Discovered a Rare-Earth Mineral Deposit That Can Supply The World For Centuries
Posted by Omuterema Akhahenda in categories: chemistry, mobile phones, sustainability, transportation
Earlier this year, researchers found a deposit of rare-earth minerals off the coast of Japan that could supply the world for centuries, according to a study.
The study, published in the journal Nature in April 2,018 says the deposit contains 16 million tons of the valuable metals.
Rare-earth minerals are used in everything from smartphone batteries to electric vehicles. By definition, these minerals contain one or more of 17 metallic rare-earth elements (for those familiar with the periodic table, those are on the second row from the bottom).