Rare Earths
Science, Technology, Production, Use, and Recycling
- 2nd Edition - June 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Authors: Jacques Lucas, Pierre Lucas, Thierry Le Mercier, Alain Rollat, Jean-Paul Tognet
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 0 1 3 6 - 0
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 0 1 3 7 - 7
Rare Earths, Second Edition explores and examines the extraction and critical uses of the REE in the 21st Century as determined by their occurrence, chemistry, physics, and atomic… Read more
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Rare Earths, Second Edition explores and examines the extraction and critical uses of the REE in the 21st Century as determined by their occurrence, chemistry, physics, and atomic structure. High-technology and environmental applications of the rare-earth elements (REE) have grown dramatically in diversity and importance over the past five decades. This book provides a scientific understanding of rare earth properties and uses, present and future. It also points the way to efficient recycle of the rare earths in end-of-use products and efficient use of rare earths in new products. This new edition examines the geology, mineralogy, discovery, ore, concentration, mining, mineral processing, rare earth extraction and production of pure rare earth metals and compounds (e.g., rare earth oxides, chlorides), atomic structures, properties, applications including military, economics, and future. High-end environmental applications of the earth elements have grown dramatically in diversity over the past decade, for example the scientific understanding of the way to efficiently recycle rare earths in end-of-use products and efficient use of rare earths in new products such as lasers. Scientists and students will appreciate the book’s approach to the availability, structure, and properties of rare earths, and how they have led to a myriad of critical uses, present and future. Experts will also get an integrated picture of production and use (present and future) of rare earths and the science behind this picture. The book will be directed to senior undergraduate science and engineering students and postgraduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, materials science and engineering, and optical engineering. Also, employees in the rare earth and associated industries, or government and industrial libraries. This book will continue prove valuable as a resource to obtain a clear picture of production and use of rare earths in the 21st Century, and the science behind this picture.
• Defines the chemical, physical and structural properties of rare earths
• Gives the reader a basic understanding of what rare earths can do for us
• Describes uses of each rare earth with chemical, physics, and structural explanations for the properties that underlie those uses
• Allows the reader to understand how rare earths behave and why they are used in present applications and will be used in future applications
• Explains to the reader where and how rare earths are found and produced and how they are best recycled to minimize environmental impact and energy and water consumption
• Gives the reader a basic understanding of what rare earths can do for us
• Describes uses of each rare earth with chemical, physics, and structural explanations for the properties that underlie those uses
• Allows the reader to understand how rare earths behave and why they are used in present applications and will be used in future applications
• Explains to the reader where and how rare earths are found and produced and how they are best recycled to minimize environmental impact and energy and water consumption
The book will be directed to senior undergraduate science and engineering students and postgraduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, materials science and engineering, and optical engineering.
Preface Chapter 1: Overview Chapter 2: Rare Earth Occurrence, Geology, Mineralogy and Element Concentrations Chapter 3: Rare Earth Production, Use and Price Chapter 4: Mining and Rare Earth Concentrate Production Chapter 5: Extracting Rare Earth Elements from Concentrates Chapter 6: Rare Earths Purification, Separation, Precipitation and Calcination Chapter 7: Production of Rare Earth Metals and Alloys Chapter 8: Electrowinning Chapter 9: Metallothermic Rare Earth Metal Reduction Chapter 10: Rare Earth Electronic Structures and Trends in Properties Chapter 11: Rare Earth Catalysts Chapter 12: Rare Earths in Rechargeable Batteries Chapter 13: Rare Earths in Alloys and Metals Chapter 14: Polishing with Rare Earth Oxides Mainly Cerium Oxide CeO2 Chapter 15: Permanent Magnets Based on Rare Earths: Fundamentals Chapter 16: Rare Earth-Based Permanent Magnets Preparation and Uses Chapter 17: Introduction to Rare Earth Luminescent Materials Chapter 18: Applications of Rare Earth Luminescent Materials Chapter 19: Rare Earth Doped Lasers and Optical Amplifiers Chapter 20: Rare Earth Recycle Chapter 21: Medical Uses of Rare Earth Elements Chapter 22 Economics of the Rare Earth Industries Chapter 23 Green Rare Earth Production and Use Chapter 24 Rare Earths in Modern Batteries Chapter 25 Scandium and Yttrium (not Rare Earths, but Lanthanides) Chapter 26: Epilogue
- Edition: 2
- Latest edition
- Published: June 1, 2026
- Language: English
JL
Jacques Lucas
Jacques Lucas is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and Emeritus Professor at the University of Rennes, France. He has co-authored several books on glasses, ceramics, and optics. He has been involved in rare earths research (photonics) as well as teaching for more than 40 years. He published more than 450 articles and co-chaired several international conferences devoted to rare earths doped optical materials. He founded and headed the CNRS Glass and Ceramic laboratory at University of Rennes for 30 years. Three start-up companies were founded based on the laboratory discoveries. He has also been Associate professor at University of Arizona and invited Professor at Kyoto University, Japan as well as at Shanghai University, PR China. He is in close contact with Solvay, the world leading company in rare earth separation, as well as with the Chinese and Japanese rare earth scientific community.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Rennes, FrancePL
Pierre Lucas
Pierre Lucas is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona, Tucson, USA. He has led several funded research projects on rare-earth doped luminescent glasses. He has been temporarily employed as an analytical chemist at Rhodia’s rare-earth refining plant in France. He is author of more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in solid state physics and chemistry.
Affiliations and expertise
University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, USATL
Thierry Le Mercier
Thierry Le Mercier is Head of the Functional Inorganic Materials Lab, Solvay, France. He specialises in solid state chemistry and optical properties of inorganic materials. He has been working for Solvay (previously Rhodia), a world-leading company in rare earths since 1998. He is currently the head of research and development department focused on new inorganic materials and breakthrough developments for energy applications and sustainable resources. He has been developing new rare earths phosphor materials for lighting and display systems. He is author of more than 30 patents is this field.
Affiliations and expertise
Solvay, FranceAR
Alain Rollat
Alain Rollat has been working in the rare earths industry (Rhône-Poulenc, Rhodia and Solvay) for more than 30 years, both in the Aubervilliers Research Center and in the La Rochelle plant. During this period, he has developed several processes in the field of rare earths separation and purification (12 patents) and participated in the design and start-up of new production units of rare earths in France and China. He is currently Technology Development Manager in charge of new processes implementation for the 5 plants of Solvay Rare Earth Systems, a Business Unit of Solvay group. He is also in charge of new rare earths sourcing for Solvay, and in this capacity, he has been working over the last 5 years with the main rare earths mining projects around the world.
Affiliations and expertise
Solvay, FranceJT
Jean-Paul Tognet
Jean-Paul Tognet is a chemical engineer and graduate of the ENSIACET [National Institute for Engineers in Chemical Arts and Technologies] in Toulouse (ENSCT1968) and the INSTN National Institute for Science and Nuclear Techniques in Grenoble (1969), France. He is an international speaker and an author of patents in the phosphate and rare earth mining upstream sector. Jean-Paul has remained faithful to Rhône-Poulenc/Rhodia (now Solvay) throughout his industrial career, which began in 1969 with a role as mineralogy and mineral processing engineer. He subsequently went on to manage the body responsible for coordinating rare earth factories in Rhône-Poulenc/Rhodia: La Rochelle, France, Freeport, Texas, USA, Anan Kasei, Japan, Pinjarra Ga, Australia (specifically a gallium plant and RE project) and Baotou, PR China. Jean-Paul ended his career in the post of Global Manager, where he was responsible for the raw materials needed for rare earth production at La Rochelle, France as well as Baotou and Liyang, PR China. As a specialist in beneficiation and chemical processes of rare earth minerals and the global optimization between of those two stages, he is presently acting as a consultant with the title Rare Earth Fellow and on the management committee of Carester, Lyon, France.
Affiliations and expertise
Rare Earths Fellow and CoDir Management Committee Member, Carester, Lyon, France