# New gold rush



## JHS (Jul 21, 2013)

check this out
http://news.yahoo.com/gold-rush-era-discards-could-fuel-cellphones-tvs-133752521.html


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## Traveller11 (Jul 21, 2013)

JHS said:


> check this out
> http://news.yahoo.com/gold-rush-era-discards-could-fuel-cellphones-tvs-133752521.html



This is the reason the USA is reluctant to pull out of Afghanistan. Russian geological surveys indicate that the reserves of rare earth minerals there make what's in China look puny.


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## JHS (Jul 22, 2013)

The article states there is no good chemical process.
Is there any acceptable one that will produce any results?
john


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## g_axelsson (Jul 22, 2013)

JHS said:


> The article states there is no good chemical process.
> Is there any acceptable one that will produce any results?
> john


Yes, there are. If you don't have any good process then you just have to accept that and use the best one available.

What I have heard is that the commercial refining of rare earth elements is slow and concists of many steps, it could take up to a year from the beginning to a finished refined product for some elements.

Göran


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## Traveller11 (Jul 24, 2013)

g_axelsson said:


> JHS said:
> 
> 
> > The article states there is no good chemical process.
> ...


 They are also not known as "rare" earth elements for nothing. Entire mountains get moved just to recover small amounts of these elements; likely why China, with its lax environmental laws, leads the world in their production. Anyone driving a Prius who thinks they are doing their bit for the environment should study up on just what goes into making a hybrid.


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## JHS (Jul 24, 2013)

I was wondering if some of you had any thoughts on the feasability of recovering any
of these elements.or if it would even be worth gearing up to attempt.
john


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## g_axelsson (Jul 24, 2013)

Traveller11 said:


> They are also not known as "rare" earth elements for nothing. Entire mountains get moved just to recover small amounts of these elements; likely why China, with its lax environmental laws, leads the world in their production. Anyone driving a Prius who thinks they are doing their bit for the environment should study up on just what goes into making a hybrid.


Actually they aren't that rare, they are only well mixed with all the other rocks.

I have no exact figures but most REE (rare earth elements) are more abundant than copper in the earths crust, but copper forms minerals that more easily is concentrated in ores. That's why copper is cheaper than REE-metals.

Göran


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## butcher (Jul 25, 2013)

g_axelsson, that is what I have read, that many of the rare earth metals are abundant, and actually very common, but extremely difficult mine and to obtain as a more pure metal.


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## blueduck (Jul 25, 2013)

here in Idaho we have a couple of rare earth metals that show up in my sluice all the time, however the EPA along with the Forest Service, the BIA, the BLM, The USFWS, have decided that the trash fish are more important to have in the stream system than the minerals are for recovery, and as such no one can even attempt to put in any form of small to large scale mining operation without a huge bond in place, a plan of operation, public hearings, law suits, more public hearings and sooner or later it is just easier to give up on the idea and go elsewhere. An admisinstrative court judge shut down mining altogether on 32 claims last month, and the one claim owner i know personally decided it was not worth the hassle of going any further..... the green masked non government organization that helped bring the suit by the Forest Service thinks they did something by shutting off the people from mineral recovery, the communist Agenda 21 pushers have dug their heels in fairly hard and gain a little ground every year cause folks can not see what it is they are doing..... but that too is changing slowly.

anyway, even after we recover such so called rare earth that we do have here, then it becomes a nightmare trying to find someone who wants to play with the insignificant amount that we can recover... so it perty much just sits around until those of us who have a little of it toss it out. I know of one old timer who buried several 55 gallon drums of one rare earth mineral cause no one wanted it unless he give it to them and pay the shipping. One day someone will dig it up [the miner is dead and buried now for several years] and make "a killing" in the market, maybe it will be one of my kids, aint many folk left who know where he buried it at if they know at all that he did.

There are plenty of ways to make a few bux in the mineral recovery, but since it takes heard work to begin with the lazy greenmasked folks it appear to me git jealous of those who are willing to make a stab at recovery, and try to shut us down using the guise it is not safe, or it is harmful to plants and animals, and since folks in populated areas only read about it, they believe such is true or it couldnt be printed or said on the tele, radio or the internet. yeah i have a little pent up anger at ignorant folks who never been out on the creek, or under the mountain...... who try to do the "right thing" yet still want to have their cell fone, and toilet paper...... ifin it aint mined or harvested people aint gonna use it.

William
Idaho


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## Traveller11 (Jul 25, 2013)

blueduck said:


> here in Idaho we have a couple of rare earth metals that show up in my sluice all the time, however the EPA along with the Forest Service, the BIA, the BLM, The USFWS, have decided that the trash fish are more important to have in the stream system than the minerals are for recovery, and as such no one can even attempt to put in any form of small to large scale mining operation without a huge bond in place, a plan of operation, public hearings, law suits, more public hearings and sooner or later it is just easier to give up on the idea and go elsewhere. An admisinstrative court judge shut down mining altogether on 32 claims last month, and the one claim owner i know personally decided it was not worth the hassle of going any further..... the green masked non government organization that helped bring the suit by the Forest Service thinks they did something by shutting off the people from mineral recovery, the communist Agenda 21 pushers have dug their heels in fairly hard and gain a little ground every year cause folks can not see what it is they are doing..... but that too is changing slowly.
> 
> anyway, even after we recover such so called rare earth that we do have here, then it becomes a nightmare trying to find someone who wants to play with the insignificant amount that we can recover... so it perty much just sits around until those of us who have a little of it toss it out. I know of one old timer who buried several 55 gallon drums of one rare earth mineral cause no one wanted it unless he give it to them and pay the shipping. One day someone will dig it up [the miner is dead and buried now for several years] and make "a killing" in the market, maybe it will be one of my kids, aint many folk left who know where he buried it at if they know at all that he did.
> 
> ...



And that's why the Chinese have been able to dominate the market.


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