ritkaföldfémfoszfátokat

ritkaföldfémföld (rare earth elements) are a group of seventeen metallic elements, comprising the fifteen lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium. Despite their name, most rare earth elements are not particularly rare in the Earth's crust, though they are rarely found in high concentrations that make them economically viable to mine. They are characterized by unique chemical and physical properties, including strong luminescence, catalytic activity, and magnetism. These properties make them indispensable in a wide range of modern technologies.

The seventeen rare earth elements are: scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), 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), and lutetium (Lu). They are often divided into "light" rare earth elements (LREE) and "heavy" rare earth elements (HREE) based on their atomic weight.

Applications for rare earth elements are diverse and critical. They are essential components in magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, phosphors for lighting and displays, catalysts in petroleum refining and automotive catalytic converters, and alloys for specialized steels and metals. Their use in consumer electronics, such as smartphones and hard drives, is also significant. The extraction and processing of rare earth elements can be complex and environmentally challenging, leading to efforts in recycling and developing alternative materials.