Makivik Magazine Issue 97

ycøAtsli ryxi Wbc3g6 wª2 tuzi4
ßbcD8Ngu4.
s/C5n/ Yttrium (Y)Fº5Ex7u4 c9lˆ3t g5
Ö/sJ6, Wbçl9lx§a1qgk5 kNs2 s/
C5n /q8k5 wMQ/s1qvlx3hi, sc3b scb -
sq8N§aK6 sdà5g/s5gt4 Wbçl9lx§a1qgk5
s/C5n/k5. s/C5n/ Promethium
(Pm)FSDüyx7u4 c9lˆ3tg5 Ö/sJ6, Wbc§aK6
urJa x7mEx¬5hi kNs2 s/C5n/q8k5 wMQ/
s5hi, bf/slx1ax§a5hi §aJxl8i4
€8ixysDtos3[s§a5ht9l xyDw7mEA8Ngi9l
cÔos3[ s§a5ht9¬gi yei3ul8î5. s/C5n/
Scandium (Sc)FyÏ8tx7u4 c9lˆ3tg5 Ö/sJ6,
wMstbsv9˜haK6 Wbçl9lx§aZt4 kNs2
s/C5n/q8kl y3uq8kl, Öà4vlx3hil
wMstbsMs3ym§a1Qm6 WNhZc3[ªozJtA5
sç/sicogx3mb W5nDA8Nht4 s/
C8ixbsA8Ng5.
yM3Jxoµu W/cDmisJ5 kNs2 s/C5n/
d tQ5hiQ5 Wbçl9lx§a1qgdtq8i4 bZbZ
u5yt8îS5 sdà8m‰5 !%) ))) bsn8i4
sdà8io8i4 Wbçl9lx§aNt4 rrx5n/i4
Öà9lxgi9l x3CAbµ5 sdà8io8i4 r1åmQ/sJc3hi
r1åmQ/sJ9l xqo?9oxgw8NMziq5 u5yt8îht4
x3ÇAbµ5 (. Öà7m5 bm8N W5JtQlA, W/cDmisc5b˜3g5
iEsQ/sic3S5 sdà8icy˜3tlQ5 xf3zi @)),)))-l
#)),)))-l r1åm5yAt1a˜3g5 x3ÇA6 @)@) N9ostt9lA.
ãi¥5 s/C8ixi3u4 WNh5bc3iq5 yM3Jxoµu Sn8ttA5
çqstym7mb (%-i4 s/C8ixht4 Wbçl9lxq8N§a1qgi4
kNs2 s/C5n/q8il y3un/q8il, ryxil Öà2Xvlx3ht4
c7uf5 s/C8ixb[i3ui4 kNo3Jxu yMÌk5 is3Dtcc5bi3ui4
wf9MQx3ic3XoxyMs3d5. bmguzl
Wix3icyMs3ht4 W?9oxt5yAtcDmifu8i4 vh3tyic3iu4
kNo3Jxdtu8i WNhZc3[i4, s/C8ixi3ul
WNh5bc3[u8i4 mrbfÌ8insdpifu8i4 W5Jtc3ht4 s/
C8ix[Q§qb ka2Xoxo3iq8i4. bmguz Wsycy5ngx3mb,
Wbçl9lxq8N§a1qg5 s/C8ixbsymJ5 xrq5
d{?Ex3ic7mE5nstQMsJK5 W?9oxtbsicy5nstQ5ht9l
s/C8ix[5nys3[ni4 ei3îl, W?9oxt5yAtc3isyJ9l,
kw5yAtcc5bisyJ9l Wbçl9lxq8N§a1qgi4 s/C5n/i4
s/C8ix[8i4 ãi¥5 kNo3Jxzb yMÌi.
Öm1zui5 Wbçl9lx§aNt4 s/C8ixbs§5 xrq5
sk3icq8Naho3g5 u5yt8i R@) xgi5 rlf÷7k5
¥Ex7aiC3bsJk9l ˜8Nn7aiC3bsJk9l x®5 wMq5
x9˜5 xbsy3j5 rlf÷7j5 trstc5bo3tlQ5 R%,)))-k5
JÎW€7aiC3bsJklx1ax6. bm4fx x3ÇAMs3gu xros3bsymAtQc5boMsJ/q5
wk3nEx3ÔuxWMsJZlx3tlQ5 G@)!!-uH
vJy5ht4 sk3gv9MmEsq8ˆd5 xrQc5bym/u nix8i
bm4fxl ÖàozMeAtc3ht4 s/C5nè5 W/sAmosuymiq8i4
W[5nsJ9l xu§1qg7mEsiq8i4.
Wbçl9lx§aNt4 s/C8ixbs§5 xg3bsic§aK5
xuhwk5 W9lfQxo8i4 WNhAtoxa§k5 kNu9l h4ftEic1qgi4
W9lfQxotA5 WNhAtoxa§k5 wMst9lQ5 xkEu
wfmosDtos3î5 Ü[5gxl8i4 nNm5ht4, N5nvbZ3i sçMsti,
rrx8k5 iW5bgi4, xsMsti, bM“ã9l cEbsè9l
bf5nsAtq8i ñ5g÷i, ßtEst5n/k9l cs7mztbs§i
xyq8il. bm4fx Wbçl9lx§aNt4 s/C8ixbs§5 xrgÔlx1axDtc3g5
bs3yt5nc1qME4vu4 xuhwi xg3bs[Q§u8i.
bm4fx bs3tq5 xg3bsZhogx3mb WxMi3l W5yxi3l
WbcD8ânstQ§a7mî4.
darren smith
sIC8ix[5nys3†5 w9lnzi4 nNJ5.
Building the base camp for prospectors.
Rare Earths are used in a variety of high tech and green technologies
including wind turbines, cell phones, magnets, motors, flat panel
displays, and phosphors, etc. What makes rare earths so valuable is there
are essentially no suitable substitutes for them in many applications.
Efficiency or practicality is always sacrificed when a substitute is used.
Recently the US Department of Energy outlined the five rare earth
elements that are the most “critical” to clean and high tech industries.
“Critical” is the term used to indicate a commodity that is in the greatest
demand while being in the shortest supply in the long term, with
the added aspect that substitutes for it are hard or impossible to find.
These are Neodymium, Europium, Terbium, Dysprosium, and Yttrium.
Neodymium is the main component of high strength “super magnets”,
required for all types of motors and related applications (such as wind
turbines, electric vehicles, cell phones). Dysprosium is critical for these
magnets as it allows for use at high temperatures without compromising
magnetic strength. Terbium may substitute for Dysprosium in certain
applications and is used in green phosphors. Europium and Yttrium are
used as phosphors, essential to produce colours in screen displays such
as flat screen televisions and cell phones, as well as in various lighting
applications. Europium is required for producing the red colour in screen
displays with no known substitutes, thus demanding one of the highest
prices of all rare earth oxides. Deposits enriched in these five critical
elements, in addition to significant total rare earth oxide grade, are generally
thought to have the better chance of making it to production. It is
estimated that only five or six new mines outside of China are needed
to satisfy future demand.
Often, the term “rare earth distribution” is used to partially evaluate
a rare earth deposit’s economic potential. It refers to the relative quantity
of each rare earth expressed as a percentage of the total quantity
of all the rare earths. Deposits with higher distribution percentages of
the critical rare earth elements are typically considered the most valuable,
although grade, tonnage, and location are always essential factors.
Rare earth deposits may occur in a variety of geological environments
but most predominantly in carbonatites such as Ashram
(Nunavik), Mountain Pass (California), and Bear Lodge (Wyoming)
deposits; intensely weathered carbonatites, also called laterites, such
as Mount Weld (Australia) and Zandkopsdrift (South Africa) deposits;
MAKIVIK mag a zine
13