China Cuts REM Exports

Rare earths aren't that "rare". It's just a matter of finding other sources. The tech and intellectual capital required to make the world's most advanced chips is even rarer and can't simply be outsourced. Oh well. Better luck next time CCP (not really).

 

You know who loses a trade war? Regular folks.

 

China has a long way to go if their bot posting in too hot is an indication of their progress. "I read the article and found it interesting" is some weak ass AI posts.

 

Has anyone asked Michael Stipe to comment?

 

Well, its the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)

 

He said that everybody hurts sometimes, but one day we will all be shiny happy people holding hands

 

Sounds like major spin to me. I assume he thinks Its the end of the world as wr know it.

Edit. I missed your first post.

 

I think we killed the thread @wgbgator

 

Losing its religion

 

Not to the extent of a real war.

 

I thought China already lost their religion.

 

Soooo where are these hidden sources of gallium et al? what little I know is that it’s obtained as a byproduct of other process (aluminum refining, some very small amounts in coal) and really isn’t present elementally in nature.

I know exploration for rare earths really isn’t a thing because of their very nature. Back-of-napkin searching seems to suggest production is linked largely to how much its parent element is produced. Ergo, if aluminum (bauxite) mining isn’t available, you’re not gonna get a whole lot of the stuff. Given that this ore isn’t super common in the continental US, I think “rare” is appropriate and concern is warranted.

 

Yes, but it's not exclusive to China either. In this case, Canada. And others. Like all things China, we can't do it by ourselves, but will need partners to complete the full decoupling. Still, the decoupling must happen. At least as long as the CCP runs China.

 

I did some quick digging. There doesn’t seem to be either a proven or unproven bauxite deposit that potentially would have the gallium we need.

 

Me too. Assuming production levels would have to increase dramatically. But, again, there are other sources. Not saying it's an easy transition, but it's doable, and better than being dependent to turds like the CCP (which is exactly why they subsidized and ramped up this stuff in the first place).

"
WHO ELSE PRODUCES THESE METALS?

Small amounts of primary gallium - around 10 metric tons in 2021 - are produced by Japan, Russia and South Korea, according to USGS, while additional amounts also come from recycled material.

Germany and Kazakhstan also produced it in the past. After prices rallied in 2020 and 2021, Germany announced that it would restart primary gallium production.

Canada's Teck Resources is the biggest germanium producer in North America, extracting the material from its Trail smelter in British Columbia.

U.S.-based Indium Corporation also produces germanium, while Belgium's Umicore makes both germanium and gallium."

Where are germanium and gallium produced, what are they used for?