Two days the praseodymium neodymium oxide transaction prices continued downward, turnover is limited, an adequate supply of the metal, deserted Inquirer.

It is understood that, Ganzhou oxide, praseodymium, neodymium supplier continuous price cut since the last week, excluding tax 258,000 yuan / ton price of the transaction, two days offer even dropped to 256,000 yuan / ton, and the market price including tax temporarily maintained at 300,000 yuan / ton.

Shanghai rare earth traders said, two weeks before the metal bid was slightly lower downstream rare Inquirer. Addition praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium iron turnover in the doldrums, the metal praseodymium, neodymium prices slightly lower than the pre-market tax 430,000 yuan / ton, while the the metal neodymium markets tax 41-42 yuan / ton, the small amount of turnover in the market. Low - priced products for the emerging markets, the industry believes that the country should accelerate the pace of integration, industry policy is put in place, use of administrative measures to curb low - price products hit the market.


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The latest biannual “Strategic and Critical Materials 2013 Report on Stockpile Requirements” (‘The Report’) published by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) urges Washington to  accumulate $120.43 million worth of heavy rare earths as part of a $319.74 million program to stockpile 23 critical materials. Each of these materials is ordered along a list arranged in accordance to how much money – and what quantity – should be spent to secure it. The report reflects the need to revise the U.S. government mineral sourcing requirements in view of their growing importance in security matters, including energy security and the shift to the much touted ‘green economy’. The considerations expressed by the DoD reflect the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act through which Congress has revised the way the Defense Department’s acquires and applies strategic materials.

The idea of stockpiling strategic materials is not new; it was started just shortly before World War II in order for the U.S. military and civilian industrial complexes to gain secure access to the materials needed to produce defense platforms. The problem, today, is the proliferation of the ‘outsourcing’ mantra in all areas of the economy, which means that many of the materials the United States needs the most are being sourced beyond the United States and even beyond the its primary allies. Without beating around the proverbial bush, this means that the United States is taking too many risks by relying so much on China as the source of many critical materials. China has shown itself to be more than willing and capable of using quotas to control exports of strategic materials in order to advance its own political and geo-strategic interests.

                 

China is not the only country to have used ‘checks and balances’ on their critical materials exports. Increasingly, companies are paying more attention to non-tangible business risks, sometimes include under the umbrella of corporate sustainability, which preclude their involvement in supplying technologies that have military applications. Such companies as Caterpillar, which makes construction machinery, have been targeted because of the military use of their bulldozers. A camera manufacturer in Japan – or China – may refuse supplying cameras for missiles and other critical parts needed to make munitions or rockets or hardware. This is especially the case as so many technologies today can address dual civilian/military needs with mere software or configuration changes.

At the end of 2012, the DoD took steps to start addressing some of these risks, signing a series of special contracts with U.S. based potential producers of REE magnets (neodymium-iron-boron or ‘neo’) magnets and equivalents from the raw supplies to the finished product. Neo magnets are used to make missile guidance systems, fU.S.es for explosives and satellite communication devices, all of which, evidently, are important to U.S. national security. Thomas & Skinner Inc., Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (‘Ucore’, TSX.V: UCU) and Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (‘GWMG’, TSX.V: GWG) were among the beneficiaries. The DoD, therefore, has been trying to reduce its vulnerability to the whims of national and corporate material and technology producers which may or may not agree to supply these. In terms of critical materials, and rare earths in particular, the industry has become extremely lopsided in China’s favor and the time and investment needed to get a dependable domestic REE supply is considerable.

The DOD, therefore, has set out to identify alternative REE sources, especially those driving a resurging U.S. domestic REE industry. Nevertheless, while the intentions of the Stockpiling program are valid, the solution to the problem may be flawed. According to the Strategic Materials Advisory Council (SMAC) if the DOD is serious about stockpiling HREE’s it will be limited to China as the source for the time being.  More importantly, the DoD spears to be contradicting itself by failing to promote the need for a greater role of U.S. mining and industry in securing these critical materials while other departments in government are doing more to hurt than to promote the necessary expansion of the U.S. mining industry that would ease dependency on outsiders. The ‘stockpiling’ plan then seems disingenuous, because left to be deployed under the current conditions, it fails to address the main risk: stockpiling, yes, perhaps; but from whom? The answer can only be China.


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Recently shared by Baotou Steel Rare Earth subsidiary Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel and hair Rare Earth Co., Ltd. Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology "mixed light rare earth resources clean efficient extraction of new technologies and applications for two major technological breakthroughs, the project" Ten 25 "national Science and Technology Pillar Program.
   
The first technique is to start from the 50% of rare earth concentrates, the fractionation extraction theory is introduced to the re-selection process rare earth concentrate, high-grade rare earth concentrate, the technology is not only efficient extraction of rare earth, comprehensive recovery of associated elements, but also has does not produce harmful emissions, waste residue less, low production costs significant advantages. The second technique is based on 65% of high-grade rare earth concentrates as raw materials flotation separation to get single Bastnaesite concentrate and monazite concentrate. The technology further simplifies the smelting process, reduce the cost of smelting, the new technology for the Bayan Obo mixed rare earth concentrate smelting.
   
At present, the subject has applied for 14 patents authorized 4.


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Japan is celebrating the find of an “astronomically” high level of rare earth deposits at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, a discovery which will further undermine China’s failing attempts to control the global supply of the substances.

The deposits, a vital component in the production of a range of high technology equipment from smartphones to catalytic converters, were found around 5.8km under the ocean surface near Minami Torishima island south-east of Tokyo.

“We detected an astronomically high level of rare earth minerals in the mud we sampled,” Tokyo University boffin Yasuhiro Kato told Reuters.

“When researchers brought back the data to me, I thought they must have made a mistake, the levels were so high. The fact is this discovery could help supply Japan with 60 per cent of its annual needs merely with the contents of a single vessel.”

                

The find follows a much larger discovery by Japanese marine researchers in the Pacific two years ago and if the rare earths can be extracted cheaply enough, it could crucially give Tokyo the tactical upper hand over China in the on-going cat-and-mouse game between the two over supplies.

Beijing halted exports to Japan in September 2010 after a maritime dispute and has actively restricted exports to all countries since in a bid to drive up prices and force manufacturing investment onto its shores.

However, despite being investigated by the WTO for such policies, China has suffered in recent months as a slowdown in global demand combined with other countries re-starting their own mining operations, has sent prices tumbling.

In October last year, its largest mining company for light rare earths, Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare Earth Hi-Tech Company, was forced to suspend operations for a month to let demand pick-up. Japan take more than half of China's supply but is thought to have imported just 10,000 tons in 2012 – its lowest volume in a decade.

While last weekend’s undersea discovery will be well-received in Tokyo,, it’s unlikely to have any big repercussions in the near term, short of forcing China to keep its prices low.

China claims it holds less than a third of global rare earth reserves despite providing more than 90 per cent of the world’s supply.


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