Rare earth metals and new method of metals recovery

Ateneo Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Nick Hodges of Energy and capital wrote about new method of metals recovery. Talvivaara Mining has such a unique process:

l.  Ore is mined and stacked in a heap pad;

2.  Bacteria is sprinkled onto the ore;   water makes the bacteria seep into the ore,   fans feed more of the bacteria into the ore.

3.  Bacteria eats into the ore;  and releases chemicals that eat into the ore;

4.  Metals are recovered, and the solutions coming from the process are sent back to the ore heap.

With a little help from nature.

Investing into this kind of mining means access to precious metals and rare earth.  For example, electric cars, the wave of the future would require plenty of battery power, coming from lithium, a rare earth element, (REE)

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Rare Earth Metals (REE) in Asia; Lyna's Plant in Malaysia

The Ateneo Graduate School of Business Advantage

China controls REE

I googled the rare earth metals thing mentioned in the recent blogpost on black ops resource and everything seems to jibe. The company could be Lynas of Australia  (its CEO is Nicolas Curtis) which is putting up a plant in Malaysia. (Majority of the stock is owned by China.)  The putting up of the plant would break the monopoly of China on the rare earth metals. The plant has the capacity to supply l/5th of the world demand.  There are rare earth mines in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri. Lanka


REE mining and processing threatens environment

  The greatest threat to this of course is the environmental agenda of governments (Kind of difficult -  love hate situation.  They love the metal for the weapons and yet do not want to mine this) The other is the pulling out of key supplier Azko Nobel for the supply of resins for its tanks.

Last year the prices was up by 50 times, (up to $l20t per ton) down to only $40t/ton. (for lanthanum oxide, 99% purity.)

Wold's electronic gadgets eat tons of REE

This is an educational post because  the rare earth metal I found out are essential of electronic equipment, smartphones. etc.  A wind turbine consumes about two tons of REE.  It is an essential part of rechargeable batteries and powers more than 5 billion cellphones world wide. When we talk about black ops resource, we do not talk about certain black magic or inaccessible knowledge.

Link:Lyna's Rare Earth Metal Plant in Malaysia

Link from Geology.com REE (Rare Earth Elements)



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New Weapons System Drives up Demand for Black Ops Resource

The Ateneo Graduate School of Business Advantage

I recently came across a video regarding a rare material:   black ops resource, a special type of strong magnet needed by missiles, drones, stealth planes, etc.  The price of this material has gone up many times over the years and the demand outstrips supply.  The material can be more scarce and valuable than gold or other precious metal.

The defense department would build its stockpile to get its weapon system development going.  This is a rare earth metals and are sourced from China (90%) and Malaysia?  China is now shrinking export of this materials.

Here is the link:    Rare Earth is going to be Scarce and Expensive

But there is a company that is not based in China that is engaged in this business.  Find more about this.

Based on my further research, this could be Lynas.  However, China bought into it recently.  And of late from $l20t per ton, the price is down to $40t per ton.  The speculation right now with the video above is exaggerated.  However, the fact that these metals are rare....


"New ideas create more and better new products and services; create more wealth."