Imagine a world where we’re left in the dark . . .
Doctors without a way to dodge medical bullets through the insides of high tech x-ray equipment.
Young soldiers off to protect our country without radars, or a way to contact home and blind to the circling dangers.
Imagine if our renewable future came to an abrupt halt.
Wind turbines stopped turning and the brakes put on electric vehicles.
As technology marches on, imagine waving it off into the distance and being left behind as the lights gradually fade.
What if I said we hold the key to a brighter future in our own backyard? In my birth state of Western Australia.
Rare Earth Elements are vital in MRI technology, making early diagnosis possible, giving our loved ones a second chance.
Dysprosium drives the efficiency of wind turbines, ensuring a greener and safer environment for our future generations.
Neodymium is in the fibre optic cables delivering high-speed internet to Nana’s house in our back Australia so she can video call her great-grandchildren whenever she’s feeling lonely.
You see, we’ve found a way to unlock these rare earth elements in a gentle and safe way, leaving a light footprint on this sacred land.
Not only that, but these small but mighty elements of being ethically sourced from our home soil and not shipped in from a country that doesn’t uphold our humanitarian, environmental, and safety standards.
From keeping our defence force planes in the sky to our Coast Guard ships at sea, protecting our borders right through to heating up yesterday’s dinner in the good old microwave.
Yeah, it’s pretty incredible where these rare earth elements are needed in our everyday life. Not only do these critical metals literally keep millions of hearts beating around the world through their important role in pacemakers, but they also have the potential to keep this country’s heart beating by keeping our homegrown resources here at home where they belong.
And as you can tell, that’s something I’m pretty proud of.”
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) comprise of 17 chemical elements that belong to the lanthanide series of the periodic table. Lanthanide elements are silvery-white metals that are generally soft, malleable, and ductile. They have high melting points and are highly reactive, particularly when finely divided.
| 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) | Lutetium (Lu) | Scandium (Sc) | Yttrium (Y) |
Some of the elements, such as gadolinium and erbium, exhibit notable magnetic properties. The lanthanides also possess similar crystal structures and form various colored compounds, which are often used in the production of pigments and dyes.
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