Rare Bear

Rare Bear

Rare Earth and the Chronos Group

Rare Earth and the Chronos Group

The Chronos Consulting mining and resource practice is active worldwide in a variety of sectors. However, one particular area of interest to us concerns the exploitation and use of rare earths. Rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium and the fifteen lanthanoids. Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earths since they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanoids and exhibit similar chemical properties.

History

The term "rare earth" arises from the minerals from which they were first isolated, which were uncommon oxide-type minerals (earths) found in Gadolinite extracted from one mine in the village of Ytterby, Sweden. However, with the exception of the highly-unstable promethium, rare earth elements are found in relatively high concentrations in the earth's crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element in the earth's crust at 68 parts per million. Rare earth elements became known to the world with the discovery of the black mineral ytterbite (also known as gadolinite) by Lieutenant Carl Axel Arrhenius in the year 1787, in a quarry in the village of Ytterby, Sweden. Many of the rare earths are named for the scientists who discovered or elucidated the elemental properties, or for their geographical discovery, or for Latin or Greek references, or for mythical references.

Chronos and Rare Earth

At Chronos Consulting we understand that rare earth elements are incorporated into many modern technological devices, including superconductors, samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron high-flux rare-earth magnets, electronic polishers, refining catalysts and hybrid car components (primarily batteries and magnets). Rare earth ions are used by many of our clients as the active ions in luminescent materials used in optoelectronics applications and in optical-fiber communication systems.  Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) spheres have been useful as tunable microwave resonators. Rare earth oxides are mixed with tungsten to improve its high temperature properties for welding, replacing thorium, which was mildly hazardous to work with.

Rare earths are constantly being used in the nuclear power and nuclear weapons industries for both practical and experimental utilization. Chronos Consulting has been intimately involved in major nuclear projects in the UK, USA, Ukraine, China and France. Some rare earth metals have found more down to earth applications in metallurgy, ceramics, glass making, dyes, lasers, televisions and other electrical components.

Location

Chronos is well placed to benefit from the global interest in rare earths. Until 1948, most of the world's rare earths were sourced from placers and deposits in India and Brazil - see www.coberon.in and www.chronosconsulting.com.br Through the 1950s, South Africa took the status as the world's rare earth source, after large rare earth bearing veins were discovered in Monazite. Please see www.chronosafrica.com for our African ventures. Today, those Indian and South African deposits still produce some rare earth concentrates, but they are dwarfed by the scale of Chinese production. China now produces over 95% of the world's rare earth supply. Chronos China is able to assist in this area of expertise -  please see www.chronos.hk for further detail.

The use of rare earth elements in modern technology has increased dramatically over the past years. Unfortunately, this new demand has strained supply, and there is growing concern that the world may soon face a shortage of the materials. In several years, worldwide demand for rare earth elements is expected to exceed supply by 40,000 tonnes annually unless major new sources are developed and Chronos research is involved in the search for alternative sources.

All of the world's heavy rare earths (such as dysprosium) are sourced from Chinese rare earth sources such as the Bayan Obo deposit.  Illegal rare earth mines are common in rural China and are often known to release toxic wastes into the general water supply. In the USA a rare earth element mine in California is set to reopen by 2012. A site at Thor Lake in Canada is also under development. Locations in Vietnam have also been considered. Great Western Minerals Group, Rare Element Resources, Avalon Rare Metals and Neo Material Technologies are among the Canadian companies exploring for resources outside China. Chronos believes it is essential to explore for, research and develop new sources of the rare earths and recruit in this area. We set up the Canadian Resources Group to help in this area.

Chinese export quotas have also resulted in a dramatic shift in the world's rare earth knowledge base. For example, the division of General Motors which deals with miniaturized magnet research shut down its US office and moved all of its staff to China.. Also green technology  depends on rare earths, elements with magnetic properties and high conductivity, which are the key to new green technologies such as wind turbines and hybrid cars. Demand for rare-earth metals is likely to increase between 10 percent and 20 percent each year, analysts say, thanks to growing demand for elements like neodymium, which is used in making hybrid electric vehicles and generators for wind turbines.

In conclusion if we are searching for rare earths in India, China, Brazil or the USA a division of Chronos Consulting is well positioned to assist. For more details please contacts us on www.chronosconsulting.com. Dr Simon Harding

www.chronosconsulting.com

www.coberongreen.com

About the Author

My siberian husky who is 2 years old, has recently started to bear his teeth to us. Why?

This only happens when we remove him from the furniture (rare) or instead of bearing his teeth, he will offer a belly grumbling type of growl. He has never bit but has offered a jerked head like he was going to nip. He is very independent, yet extremely affectionate and playful with toys and games. I am concerned that he will bite, and if he does, it will be bad because he has a real power bite.

I think you kinda answered your own question "This only happens when we remove him from the furniture (rare)" notice the Rare part....You are not asserting your dominace over him he needs to know you are the boss....Check out this training technique it is called NILF (Nothing in life is free) it will definitely help you with the problem!!

http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-dog_nilf.htm

Rare Bear Engine Run ~ High Power Setting with Boil Off