By: Inspenet, November 1, 2022
Rare earth metals are a group of 17 chemical elements that currently constitute an essential component for the production of key materials in high-tech consumer sectors, such as the electronic and electro-optical industries, information technology, biomedicine, environmental protection or energy conservation.
70% of the deposits of these elements are found in China, which currently provides 80% of the world’s supply. In this context, the Asian nation warned in 2019 that it could reduce exports to fight back in its trade war with the US.
However, China’s hegemony could now be undermined if it is confirmed that tetrataenite, an alloy of iron and nickel, found in meteorites and possessing a certain structure of atoms with magnetic properties, could serve as a replacement for magnets. of rare earths.
According to a method proposed by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, this material could be used to make the high-performance magnets used in wind turbines and electric cars, the British university said in a statement.
The recent study, published in the journal Advanced Science, has concluded that the addition of an element as common as phosphorus drastically accelerates the formation of tetrataenite, a process that under natural conditions would last millions of years. The finding could mean that it is possible to create tetrataenite artificially and on a large scale without resorting to any expensive technology.
This material from the portal actuality.rt.com was edited for clarity, style and length.
Source RT News in Spanish : https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/445903-investigadores-europeos-proponen-reemplazar-tierras-raras
Photo: ShutterStock
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