Chineses ajustam a cota dos terras-raras para 15.500t

Chineses ajustam a cota dos terras-raras para 15.500t
Após ter anunciado uma cota mais elevada, o Ministério do Comércio chinês reconsidera e informa a nova cota de 15.500t para 2014. Esta cota inclui 13.691t de terras-raras leves e 1.809 t para os terras-raras médios e pesados.

Os terras-raras leves são fundamentais no uso dos imãs de alta potencia enquanto os pesados são usados em várias tecnologias incluindo as TVs e celulares. (veja tabela)

Z	ELEMENT	SYMBOL	USE
21	Scandium	Sc	Aerospace framework, high-intensity street lamps, high performance  equipment
39	Yttrium	Y	TV sets, cancer treatment drugs, enhances strength of alloys
57	Lanthanum	La	Camera lenses, battery-electrodes, hydrogen storage
58	Cerium	Ce	Catalytic converters, colored glass, steel production
59	Praseodymium	Pr	Super-strong magnets, welding goggles, lasers
60	Neodymium	Nd	Extremely strong permanent magnets, microphones, electric motors of  hybrid automobiles, laser
61	Promethium	Pm	Not usually found in Nature
62	Samarium	Sm	Cancer treatment, nuclear reactor control rods, X-ray lasers
63	Europium	Eu	Color TV screens, fluorescent glass, genetic screening tests
64	Gadolinium	Gd	Shielding in nuclear reactors, nuclear marine propulsion, increases  durability of alloys
65	Terbium	Tb	TV sets, fuel cells, sonar systems
66	Dysprosium	Dy	Commercial lighting, hard disk devices, transducers
67	Holmium	Ho	Lasers, glass coloring, High-strength magnets
68	Erbium	Er	Glass colorant, signal amplification for fiber optic cables,  metallurgical uses
69	Thulium	Tm	High efficiency lasers, portable x-ray machines, high temperature  superconductor
70	Ytterbium	Yb	Improves stainless steel, lasers, ground monitoring devices
71	Lutetium	Lu	Refining petroleum, LED light bulbs, integrated circuit manufacturing