Comments on: Chinese Restructuring Of The Rare Earth Mining Industry Goes Into High Gear https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/chinese-restructuring-of-the-rare-earth-mining-industry-goes-into-high-gear/ Commentary & analysis on rare earths and other technology metals Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:24:58 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 By: Dennis Carlton Rossi https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/chinese-restructuring-of-the-rare-earth-mining-industry-goes-into-high-gear/#comment-301 Thu, 27 May 2010 16:29:17 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=872#comment-301 It is likely that Baotou Rare Earth has announced the creation of a strategic stockpile so that it may clean up the industry during a temporary shutdown. It also makes sense that if rare earths are seen as a tool to promote green technology that mining of REE’s becomes environmentally friendly.
You are also correct when you state that the Chinese mining industry does not originate or make economic or political decisions for the state. However, a third category is usually included. It is military. There may be military implications to stockpiling 3000 tons of HREE’s.
The first commodity which China stockpiled was oil in a strategic oil reserve. There were economic and political reasons to do so. There may have been military reasons, too.

]]> By: William Tahil https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/chinese-restructuring-of-the-rare-earth-mining-industry-goes-into-high-gear/#comment-300 Thu, 20 May 2010 09:49:28 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=872#comment-300 Dear Jack

Is the Renewable Energy and EV industry falling into the same trap of obsession with one material as with Lithium?

Your colleague John Petersen recently wrote:

“Over the next couple years we will have to come to grips with the fact that even more daunting constraints are looming for the rare earth metal Neodymium, which is essential for the permanent magnets used in both wind turbines and electric motors.”

True as far as it goes. However, there is no reason why Electric Vehicles should not use AC Induction motors which have high efficiency and do not use permanent magnets, only copper conductors. Much cheaper than PM motors too. The GM EV1 used an induction motor as does the current Tesla Roadster.

As for wind turbine generators, conventional generators are “self-excited”. As the generator is rotated, residual magnetism in the steel cores excites enough output for some to be fed back to the field coils to generate further output and the device bootstraps itself. No need for permanent magnets or a battery (as in a car alternator). The self excited generator is also standard conventional technology.

As long as the industry does not forget these basic effective technologies that have been used for one hundred years there is no need for a problem with EV motors or wind turbine generators.

]]> By: Alec Lager https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/chinese-restructuring-of-the-rare-earth-mining-industry-goes-into-high-gear/#comment-299 Wed, 19 May 2010 17:16:33 +0000 https://www.techmetalsresearch.net/?p=872#comment-299 Hello everyone, and thank you Jack for this analysis.

After reading this, I can’t help but remember the last time that an MIIT “draft” document surfaced (the “Rare Earth Industry and Development Plan 2009-2015). Is there reason to believe that the elements of one proposal are more likely or actionable then the elements of the other? (Remember that the last one suggested an immediate export ban of five heavy REE and tighter export restrictions for the others.) Could China’s (assumed) forthcoming regulations in this sector be a combination of these proposals?

Thanks

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