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Comments

• [1] Jerome from Prospect Heights, Brooklyn April 16, 2009 - 01:54PM

  Thanks for covering the use of neodymium. As a musician I've noted the increasing use of neodymium in very lightweight and powerful magnets in speakers for musical instruments and microphones. I wasn't aware of its use in larger industries such as electricity generation and electric car engines.

  
  
• [2] stephen from Stony Brook April 16, 2009 - 02:04PM

  hello, Leonard -

  Neodymium is important because, pound-for-pound, it is one of the best elements that can be blended with cobalt and iron to make extremely strong magnets (I'm happy to explain why, but it's technical). Your guest's comment that "electromagnets" can replace it is false. A natural, "permanent" magnet is important here, because of the inherent potential energy that a magnet affords us. Give me all of the thorium-90 that comes with mining rare-earths, as you can use the thorium to make lifesaving isotopes of other materials!

  As with any mining, environmental sensitivities MUST be taken into account, but with some clever chemistry (I'm almost done w/ my PhD in chemistry), you can make money and protect the environment.

  Here's one alternative: recycle ALL of the speakers and other electronic equipment found in stereos, cars, iPods, cell phones, computers, etc. as they will have varying levels of neodymium-based magnetic materials.

  regards,

  stephen

  
  
• [3] Sreedhar April 16, 2009 - 02:45PM

  This segment contained several important facts omitted. Neodymium is not rare (it is at least as abundant as lead). Just that China now produces 95% of all rare earth metals (pretty abundant in reality).