Last week, the discovery of a vast deposit of rare earth elements in north Sweden made headlines around the world. Officials estimate that over one million tons of this valuable metal are waiting to be mined. Univ. Prof. Achim Walter Hassel conducts research on rare metals at the Johannes Kepler University Linz and talks about why this find is particularly important, both politically and scientifically.

Prof. Achim Walter Hassel, head of the Institute for Chemical Technology of Inorganic Substances at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, is an internationally renowned expert in research on rare metals.

Just how important is this rare earth metal discovery in Sweden?
Prof. Hassel: There are two aspects to this find. One side relates to trade policies. The majority of rare earth elements come from China, and more and more are coming from the USA as well. In the past, during the conflict over the Senkaku Islands near Taiwan, China actually suspended its supply of rare earth elements to Japan in order to put more pressure on Japan. Being dependent on China's goodwill leaves the rest of the world vulnerable to extortion. The solution here could be production in Europe and this is exactly why this discovery is significant.

The other aspect concerns research. These rare earth metals are tremendously important as their electronic structures mean that these rare earth metals are unique and have certain magnetic and photometric properties.

Europium is used when making fluorescent lamps and LED lighting. The rare earth elements neodymium and samarium are used in magnets.

Gadolinium is used in medicine for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) applications. Yttrium is in YAG lasers and the lambda probe is used to help reduce gas control exhaust emissions in cars as well as to measure levels of oxygen during steel production as part of the Linz-Donawitz process.

Scandium is an alloy component used to produce high-strength aluminum for the Airbus A380, or high-quality racing bike frames.

Erbium and terbium are used in light amplifiers and light valves which are essential Internet components.

The oxide in cerium is widely used to produce important abrasives and polishing agents. These are just a few examples and as you can see, rare metals are important as we need them for a very broad range of applications.

Jan Moström, the head of the Swedish mining company that disclosed the find, referred to the deposit as "good news", not just for the region and for Sweden, but for Europe and the climate. What does he mean by that?
Prof. Hassel: He's right because we need large quantities of neodymium and samarium to not only help produce electric motors for electric cars, but also for the permanent magnets contained in wind energy generators. In this regard, the find is certainly of relevance in terms of climate policy.

Just how rare are rare earth elements?
Prof. Hassel: In truth, in terms of quantity, they are not all that rare. As stable elements, they are more common than silver, platinum and gold. These elements are found only in very scattered locations and, as in Sweden, they are often mined only as a by-product. The term "rare earth elements" presumably refers more to their unique, rarely occurring properties.

As you conduct research on rare earth metals, just how important are these metals?
Prof. Hassel: We are always on the lookout for inexpensive, environmentally-friendly production methods. Rare earth elements are appealing because you often just need a very small amount of these metals to attain the desired effect. This is probably why they also go by the nickname of spice metals.

What are you currently working on?
Prof. Hassel: My research focuses on introducing selective disruptions to metal alloys. They then lose their crystalline character and exhibit special properties, such as an extremely smooth surface or significantly higher resistance to corrosion. In technical terms, the alloys become amorphous.

In cooperation with voestalpine, researchers at a Christian Doppler laboratory developed an amorphous zinc alloy that can be applied even more thinly to surfaces. The method can also be used to produce high-strength, low weight aluminum alloys. Alloys used for implants can be created based on magnesium and other metals found in human bodies; after a certain period of time, these will then dissolve on their own.