Dobrescu, Emilian M. (2026), U.S. Department of Energy Policy in the field or Rare Earth Elements, Intelligence Info, 5:1, 53-58, https://www.intelligenceinfo.org/u-s-department-of-energy-policy-in-the-field-or-rare-earth-elements/

 

Abstract

Rare earths elements are widely used in the construction of car engines, in electronics, military and nuclear industries. They represent the raw materials for high-technologies, especially IT, lasers, etc. Ever since October 2010, the US Congress has been supporting companies through a loan guarantee program, to relocate their mining activities and production of Rare Earth Elements in the US.

Keywords: Rare Earths Elements, REE, industrial applications, US policy, energy

Politica Departamentul de Energie al SUA în domeniul elementelor pământurilor rare

Rezumat

Elementele de pământuri rare sunt utilizate pe scară largă în construcția motoarelor de automobile, în electronică, industria militară și nucleară. Acestea reprezintă materiile prime pentru tehnologii înalte, în special IT, lasere etc. Încă din octombrie 2010, Congresul SUA sprijină companiile, printr-un program de garantare a împrumuturilor, să își relocheze activitățile miniere și producția de elemente de pământuri rare în SUA.

Cuvinte cheie: Elemente de Pământuri Rare, REE, aplicații industriale, politica SUA, energie

 

INTELLIGENCE INFO, Volumul 5, Numărul 1, Martie 2026, pp. 53-58
ISSN 2821 – 8159, ISSN – L 2821 – 8159
URL: https://www.intelligenceinfo.org/u-s-department-of-energy-policy-in-the-field-or-rare-earth-elements/
© 2026 Emilian M. DOBRESCU. Responsabilitatea conținutului, interpretărilor și opiniilor exprimate revine exclusiv autorilor.

 

U.S. Department of Energy Policy in the field or Rare Earth Elements

Emilian M. DOBRESCU[1]
dobrescu@acad.ro

[1] Membru titular al Academiei Oamenilor de Știință

 

Introduction

Rare earths elements (REE) are widely used in the construction of car engines, in electronics, military and nuclear industries. They represent the raw materials for high-technologies, especially IT, lasers, etc. Rare earth elements are used to produce batteries – lanthanum based – vital for electric cars, which are slowly replacing petroleum-based ones thus fostering green growth. Neodymium is used to produce highly efficient magnets for electric motors, hydroelectric or wind turbines and hybrid cars.

Professor Animesh Jha, with the Faculty of Engineering in Leeds (UK) has developed a simple and less expensive process to the recovery of titanium dioxide (TiO2) from industrial waste.[1] “There is a serious risk that the development of technologies that have a major impact on the environment can be slowed down by the shortages of rare earth elements which have lately become essential raw materials for many processes,” says Animesh Jha, who argues that “his new method, “greener” than current technologies could reduce this very likely risk”.

The titanium dioxide recovery rate from industrial waste varies between 60 and 80 percent and the procedure developed by professor Jha might be able to increase this rate in the future. The recovery of neodymium oxide, cerium and lanthanum from the production waste started already and registers a double benefit for the environment: the process allows the recycling of industrial waste and the separation of titanium and rare earth elements.

On an industrial scale, this new method could fight the Chinese Monopoly production of REE and ensure the development of green technologies and also information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Industrial Applications

The current industrial applications add value to REE and their particularities.

In metallurgy, REMs are used to enhance and strengthen the properties of cast iron or steel. Used very often as structural additives, they allow the morphology control of the inclusion of sulfurs in acids, to improving the ductility, thermal and mechanical resistance.

In the field of catalysis, the chemical properties of the rare earth elements are important in improving the stability, the activity or the selectivity of the catalytic systems. Thus, the multi-functional catalysts based on rare earth elements allow the reduction of the compounds of carbon monoxides and nitrogen in the exhaust gases.

In the composition of the catalyst for the exhaust gases there is precious metal deposited on an aluminum support which is treated with cerium oxide. Thanks to its oxidation reducing properties, cerium oxide plays the role of regulating the proportion of oxygen in the gas mixture, thus achieving the best possible catalytic and global activity.

Industrial applications of REE in the fields of pottery and glass are multiple: neodymium gives the purple color, praseodymium the green color, erbium the pink color of crystal or eye glasses. Cerium combined with titanium gives a vivid yellow color, often used in kitchen products, but the main use is in the field of discoloration – this combination oxidizes some colored impurities (bivalent iron, for example) and, because of its strong absorption of electrons and ultraviolet rays, it helps to avoid the blackening of glass under the effect of these radiations (windows, bottles, wind screens etc.) Lanthanum is used to obtain borate glass with a high refractive index and low dispersion indispensable in precision optics (photographic and microscope lenses, for example).

Quasi monochromatic luminescence emissions are successfully used to achieve an exceptional performance in television, lighting or radio luminescence.

The property of being luminophores of REE enables the production of trichromatic fluorescent tubes. The ultraviolet radiation emitted by the mercury drops, “stimulated” between two electrodes is converted into visible light using three luminophores whose activators emit one of the fundamental colors: bivalent europium for blue and trivalent europium for red and terbium for green. The yields and lifetime of the neon tubes treated with these rare earths are often superior to those of the traditional incandescent lamps.

In radio luminescence, an intense absorption of X-rays, an excellent yield of conversion in visible light and a wave length well suited to maximal sensitivity of the photographic emulsions used make the luminophores of the REE the preferred materials when it comes to producing the displays used to transform a radiological medical image into an optical image.

Exceptional magnetic properties of the alloys made from mixing an element of transition and a REE are highlighted in the composition of permanent magnets – these are the most effective combinations: SmCo5, Sm2Co17, Nd2Fe14B. The most spectacular consistency of their use was the miniaturization of the magnets that allowed a high fidelity, for example the magnetic alloy based on Sm2Co17 decreased the volume of the microphones or headphones.

On the other hand, the decrease in the costs and the excellent magnetic properties of neodymium magnets enabled the replacement of the electromagnets mainly in the automotive industry. Rare earth elements are sometimes used in very small percentages, but the magnets are extremely important in the production of motors for hybrid cars, and high-speed trains. REE are also important in the production of strategic positioning devices (GPS), liquid crystal displays (LCD) or tactile devices and mobile phones, especially the batteries.

It is almost certain that the prices for rare earths will greatly increase in the following years. This situation creates a huge investment opportunity for the countries that possess such resources and their companies, for transnational companies and businessmen willing to invest in this field.

There is another great opportunity for large investments in the field of recycling the rare earth elements. When the cost of extraction exceeds the cost of recycling, it will be more lucrative to recycle the REE from scrapped computers, displays, sound systems, batteries etc. Therefore, recycling is already a matter on the table of the decision makers.

A smart entrepreneur could make a fortune by recycling and selling the REE which otherwise would be extracted at higher prices from the REE deposits. A hundred years ago, nobody could have imagined that 85 percent of all lead used today is recovered from batteries and similar devices having lead in their composition. But in the last fifty years, lead recycling has become an important activity all over the globe due to its technological importance over the last decades.

US Policy

Ever since October 2010, the US Congress has been supporting companies through a loan guarantee program, to relocate their mining activities and production of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in the US. The new mines could reach full production capacity in 3 to 5 years from their opening or reopening[2]. Also, the existing uranium mines could provide rare earth metals by reprocessing all the material excavated so far, which often contains these metals.

The Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, David Sandalow announced in March 2011 that his institution has developed a strategic plan regarding the use of rare earth elements and other materials used in the field of clean technologies, focusing on the research for substitutes and promoting the recycling, reuse and a more efficient use of REE, while “encouraging our trading partners to speed-up the process of creating alternative and environmentally friendly sources of exploitation of rare earth elements.” The correspondence between the specialists of the U.S. Department of Energy and their Chinese counterparts in the spring of 2011, led to the conclusion that the necessary agreements have already been established between the two most powerful countries in the field of rare earth elements.

The experts believe that the U.S. encourages and finances the extraction, refining and manufacturing of rare earth elements in China.

Under the loan guarantee program which helps rebuilding the domestic supply chain of REE, the U.S. Department of Energy also encourages any well documented and substantiated request made in this respect. This means speeding up the applications related to “production of rare earths elements of high purity, production of metals extracted from rare earth elements, production of alloys based on REE, manufacturing permanent magnets, advanced batteries and other components of rare earth elements associated with clean energy technologies.” Giving loan guarantees to companies in these areas allows funding of projects with a better interest rate and a lower cost than usual. The loan guarantee granted by the U.S. government reduces the financial risk for the creditors and represents a vote of confidence given by the U.S., which can help a company to attract capital investors.

The Federal Government promotes as a priority the documents regarding the REE in the supply chain of the Department of Defense.[3]

The law in this regard was signed by President Obama, and it stated that “no later than April 1, 2010, a report regarding REE and their role in the supply chain of the Department of Defense should be presented to the Commission on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives.” The law states that the report must address at least the following issues:

1. An analysis of the current availability and a national and global forecast in the field of rare earth elements used in defense systems, including the analysis of the estimated availability of these materials on the export market.
2. An analysis of the actions and events outside the control of the U.S. government, which could limit DoD access to REE, such as prior public acquisitions and the attempt of acquisitions of the REE mines and exploitation rights of these minerals.
3. An identification of the defense systems which are currently or could be dependent on REE, and whose supply could be limited by actions and events identified above or actions and other events outside the control of the U.S.
4. Any actions which the DoD made or intends to make to address any kind of risk to national security.
5. Similar recommendations for further action to address the issues covered by the report.

The republican Mike Coffman commented on the situation from May 2011: “The Department of Defense is facing a strategic shortage of “rare earth elements” in the short term and the materials necessary to support our armed defense systems based on rare earth elements are especially at a critical level”.

Peter C. Dent, vice president for business development with Electron Energy in Landisville (Pennsylvania, USA), a company which produces electronic components that require REE said: “In 1970, we were one of the first companies in the world producing magnets from REE. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the American industry based on REE reached its peak with over 20 companies that used rare earth elements. Then during the 1990s we started the decline and the migration of this industry to China. Now my company is the last producer of magnets from REE in America”.[4]

Today, the United States doesn’t use in the production magnets, neodymium, boron rare earths of iron, but they are still found in our precision guided munitions, ships, aircrafts and other weapons systems.”

Notes

[1] Grégoire Macqueron, Des terres rares en abondance pour les technologies vertes?, URL: www.Futura-Science.com, visited on the 19th of July 2012, at 8,15 am.

[2] Hot News, October, 20, 2010.

[3] ***, It’s official: Fed required to report to Congress on rare earth in the US Defense Supply Chain, Industry News, Nov 1, 2009.

[4] Mitch Jacoby and Jessie Jiang, eds., Securing The Supply Of Rare Earths. Green-energy and high-tech industries grow anxious over China’s monopoly on these valuable resources, volume 88, Number 35, August 30, 2010 pp. 9- 12 (selective).