Rare earth elements are a group of strategic metals that have become central to modern technology and the energy transition. Without them, it would be impossible to efficiently produce smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, medical devices, and many advanced industrial components.
In recent years, interest in these elements has grown not only from a technological perspective, but also from an economic and geopolitical one. Control over resources, extraction supply chains, and refining processes is now a strategic lever for many countries.
In this context, the chemical and structural analysis of rare earth elements becomes essential. This is where the expertise of GNR Analytical Instruments comes into play, offering advanced solutions for metal analysis, including applications involving rare earth elements.
What are rare earth elements and where does the name come from
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table that play a fundamental role in modern technological industries. They include the 15 lanthanides, ranging from Lanthanum (La) to Lutetium (Lu), along with Scandium (Sc) and Yttrium (Y), elements with similar chemical properties that are often found in the same minerals.
The term rare earth elements can be misleading: these elements are not actually rare in the Earth’s crust. Their “rarity” is mainly related to the difficulty of extraction and processing. In nature, they are rarely found in high concentrations, are often mixed with each other or with other elements, and require complex and costly extraction and purification processes, both technically and environmentally.
The complete list of rare earth elements includes: Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), Lutetium (Lu), Scandium (Sc), and Yttrium (Y). Each of these elements has specific characteristics that make it indispensable for advanced technological applications.
Why are earth elements are so important
Rare earth elements are now essential for the development and operation of many key technologies that we use every day and that support industrial innovation. Their importance stems from their unique magnetic, optical, and electronic properties, which are difficult to replace with alternative materials.
One of the main areas of application is electric motors and wind turbines, where permanent magnets based on neodymium and dysprosium enable high performance, greater energy efficiency, and more compact designs. Rare earth elements are also fundamental in batteries and electric vehicles, helping to improve efficiency, durability, and reliability of energy storage and propulsion systems.
In the consumer electronics sector, these metals are found in smartphones, computers, and LED displays, where they are used in high-quality screens, miniaturized speakers, and advanced electronic components. Added to this are military and aerospace applications, which require extremely reliable, durable, and high-performance materials even under extreme conditions.
Global demand for rare earth elements is therefore constantly increasing, driven by digitalization, the expansion of green technologies, and the transition to renewable energy, making these elements increasingly strategic for the economy and industry of the future.
Which metals are rare earth elements
Each rare earth metal is characterized by specific physical and chemical properties that make it difficult to substitute in certain industrial and technological applications. It is precisely this combination of unique characteristics that explains why rare earth elements are so strategic for high-innovation sectors.
For example, Neodymium (Nd) is one of the most well-known and widely used elements: thanks to its exceptional magnetic properties, it is essential for the production of permanent magnets used in electric motors, generators, and turbines. Dysprosium (Dy) is often added to these magnets to improve high-temperature resistance, making them more stable and reliable under demanding operating conditions.
Yttrium (Y) is widely used in the production of screens, lasers, and advanced ceramics, while Lanthanum (La) is mainly used in rechargeable batteries and in the manufacture of high-performance optical lenses. Cerium (Ce), finally, is widely used in automotive catalysts and in glass polishing processes, thanks to its high chemical reactivity.
This wide range of applications shows how rare earth metals are now indispensable for high-tech industries, where performance, efficiency, and material reliability are decisive factors.
Where rare earth elements are found around the world
Rare earth elements are distributed across different regions of the world, but their production is currently concentrated in a limited number of countries, with significant economic and geopolitical implications. China holds a dominant position in the global market, accounting for over 60% of worldwide production, thanks to large reserves, consolidated infrastructure, and a highly developed industrial supply chain.
The United States represent another strategic player, with active mines such as Mountain Pass, which has resumed operations to reduce dependence on imports of critical materials. Alongside these major producers, Australia, Brazil, and India are strengthening their role as emerging producers, investing in new mining activities and refining technologies.
In Europe, increasing attention is being paid to the reopening of historic mines and the development of rare earth recycling processes, with the aim of increasing strategic autonomy and reducing environmental impact. Sustainability is in fact one of the central issues in this sector: the extraction and refining of rare earth elements can have significant environmental effects, making cleaner, regulated processes and accurate analytical controls essential throughout the entire supply chain.
The economic and strategic value of rare earth elements
Rare earth elements are often referred to as “the gold of technology” because they represent an essential resource for contemporary industrial and technological development. Their market value is steadily increasing, driven by growing global demand and the expansion of high-tech sectors.
Another key factor is the strong technological dependence on a limited number of producing countries, which makes rare earth elements a strategic factor in international economic and geopolitical relations. The availability of these metals directly affects the ability to manufacture advanced technologies and to keep entire industries competitive.
Rare earth elements also play a crucial role in the energy transition, in the development of renewable energy, and in electric mobility, where they are indispensable for improving efficiency, performance, and sustainability of systems. For this reason, control over rare earth elements effectively means control over entire industrial supply chains of the future, making them one of the most strategic assets in the global economy.
How rare earth elements are analyzed: methods and tools
To ensure consistent quality, purity, and performance, metals containing rare earth elements are subjected, in industrial environments, to highly reliable and repeatable chemical analyses. During production, quality control, and process verification phases, it is essential to have tools capable of delivering fast and accurate results, directly on metallic materials.
The most widely used technique in industrial environments for the analysis of rare earth elements in metal alloys is optical emission spectrometry (OES). This method enables direct elemental analysis of solid samples and allows accurate determination of elements such as cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium, and gadolinium, even when present at low levels or as process elements.
OES is particularly valued in the metallurgical industry because it:
- offers very fast analysis times;
- guarantees high precision and repeatability;
- is ideal for production quality control;
- allows effective monitoring of special alloys, cast irons, and advanced magnesium alloys.
Thanks to these characteristics, optical emission spectrometry is now considered the industry standard for the industrial analysis of rare earth elements, supporting the production of advanced materials and ensuring compliance with the technical specifications required by the most demanding sectors.
Metal and rare earth analysis with GNR technologies
In the metallurgical sector, rare earth analysis is required not only in high-tech applications, but also in established industrial processes, where these elements play a strategic role as process or alloying elements.
A significant example is the analysis of cast irons using iron-based instruments. In these cases, it may be necessary to accurately determine the presence of elements such as cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La) through optical emission spectrometry (OES). These elements are not part of the basic chemical structure of cast iron, but are introduced as process additives to optimize material behavior. In particular, they help to:
- promote spheroidal graphite nodulization;
- support neutralization processes;
- improve the mechanical properties of specific types of cast iron.
This type of control is essential in the production of automotive components (such as engine blocks, crankshafts, and transmission components), industrial machinery parts, valves, pump bodies, and energy-sector components, where mechanical reliability and consistent performance are critical requirements.
Rare earth elements also play a central role in the analysis of advanced magnesium alloys, in which elements such as yttrium, gadolinium, and neodymium, in addition to cerium and lanthanum, are used as primary alloying elements. In these materials, concentrations can be significant and directly affect mechanical strength, thermal stability, and fatigue behavior. Such alloys are used in automotive and aerospace structural components, housings, mechanical supports, electronic enclosures, and lightweight parts for high-performance machinery.
Finally, in certain high-performance aluminum alloys, scandium (Sc) plays an important role, improving strength, stiffness, and weldability. In addition to bicycle frames, these lightweight alloys are used in aerospace components, motorsport structures, drone parts, and high-performance sporting applications, where the strength-to-weight ratio is critical.
In all these fields, optical emission spectrometry (OES) is an indispensable tool for process control and final product quality, enabling precise and efficient use of rare earth elements even in traditional industrial metallurgy.
GNR instruments designed for these applications cover a wide range of metal analysis requirements, starting from the Minilab 300 and extending to high-performance solutions for more complex industrial environments. Thanks to optical emission spectrometry (OES), these systems provide fast, accurate, and repeatable chemical metal analysis, directly on metallic samples.
In particular, the range of GNR OES spectrometers for metal analysis includes:
- S3 Minilab 300 – compact metal analysis spectrometer, ideal for fast OES analysis and production quality control;
- S5 Solaris Plus – versatile solution for laboratories and production departments, designed to ensure reliability and flexibility in chemical metal analysis;
- S6 Sirius 500 – high-precision spectrometer, suitable for advanced metal analysis and complex industrial applications;
- S7 Metal Lab Plus – high-end system for metallurgical laboratories and high-intensity quality control environments.
The analytical precision of GNR is a key factor for all sectors dealing with strategic metals, including rare earth elements, where accuracy in chemical metal analysis, result repeatability, and process control are essential requirements.
The future of rare earth elements: between sustainability and innovation
The future of rare earth elements will increasingly depend on the ability to balance technological innovation with environmental responsibility. The growth in global demand makes a more conscious approach to the use of these strategic resources essential throughout the entire material life cycle.
One of the main development directions involves recycling technologies, considered fundamental for reducing the environmental impact of primary extraction and for recovering rare earth elements from end-of-life products such as electronic devices, electric motors, and batteries. At the same time, research into more sustainable alternatives and materials with comparable performance is gaining importance, particularly as a way to reduce dependence on a limited number of supply sources.
Another crucial aspect is the continuous improvement of extraction, refining, and analysis processes, with the aim of increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and ensuring ever-higher quality standards. In this context, the availability of advanced analytical instruments becomes a determining factor.
Solutions developed by GNR will therefore play an increasingly central role in ensuring the efficient, safe, and responsible use of rare earth elements, supporting industry on its path toward more sustainable resource management and future technologies.
FAQ – Rare Earth Elements
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table. They include the 15 lanthanides, from lanthanum to lutetium, plus scandium and yttrium. These elements share similar chemical properties and are essential for many advanced technological and industrial applications.
The term rare earth elements does not refer to their scarcity in the Earth’s crust, but to the difficulty of extracting and refining them. These elements are rarely found in high concentrations, are often mixed with each other or with other metals, and require complex and costly separation processes, both technically and environmentally.
Rare earth metals are used to manufacture key components for electric motors, wind turbines, batteries, electric vehicles, electronic devices, LED displays, as well as aerospace and military applications. Their magnetic, optical, and electronic properties make them difficult to replace in many critical technologies.
China is currently the world’s leading producer of rare earth elements, accounting for over 60% of global production. This is followed by the United States, with active mines such as Mountain Pass, and by Australia, Brazil, and India, which are considered emerging producers. In Europe, initiatives are underway to reopen historic mines and develop recycling supply chains.
Rare earth elements have a steadily increasing market value and are considered strategic because they are essential for the energy transition, renewable energy technologies, and electric mobility. The strong concentration of production in a few countries also makes them a key factor in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.
In industrial environments, rare earth metal analysis is mainly performed using optical emission spectrometry (OES). This technique enables fast, accurate, and repeatable chemical metal analysis directly on solid samples and is particularly suitable for quality control and process monitoring.
Rare earth elements are used in many industrial sectors, including energy, automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace, defense, and metallurgy. They are applied both in high-tech materials and in traditional industrial processes, such as the production of cast irons, magnesium alloys, and advanced aluminum alloys.
GNR Analytical Instruments offers a complete range of metal analysis spectrometers based on optical emission spectrometry (OES). Solutions include instruments such as S3 Minilab 300, S5 Solaris Plus, S6 Sirius 500, and S7 Metal Lab Plus, designed to ensure accurate, reliable, and repeatable chemical metal analysis, even in the presence of strategic elements such as rare earths.
