Can take rare earths from the ocean

The ocean floor may become a plentiful source of rare earth, scientists claim.

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A manganese stone (right) on the ocean floor and its inner structure after being cut. (Photo: New York Times).

Rare earth ore - containing 17 precious elements in the middle of the periodic table - is a topic of interest to the media in recent years.

China supplies 95% of rare earth ore processed in the world market. 17 elements in rare earth ore are used to produce many high-tech items such as electronic equipment, solar cells. According to the New York Times , China's monopoly of rare earth ore became a concern for many countries after Beijing stopped exporting rare earth ore to Japan in September to force Tokyo to release the captain of a fishing vessel. Japanese soldiers caught close to the disputed islands between the two countries. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said that China's action was a " wake-up bell " for the world to seek new sources of new rare earths.

" Based on the reaction of the world to China stopping the export of rare earth ore to Japan, we can predict that rare earth will become important material in the future, " geologist James R Hein of the US Geological Department, speaking to the New York Times.

Since China stopped exporting rare earths to Japan, countries have launched a campaign to find supplies of rare earths that are not dependent on China. But no country can exploit and refine rare earth rare earth ore like China.

In this context, scientists have recently mentioned a place that can help countries reduce dependence on rare earth ores into China. That is the ocean floor. In October, Hein and 5 German geologists published a study on the possibility of exploiting rare earths under the ocean floor at the annual meeting of the Underwater Mining Institute of the University of Hawaii, USA.

Previously, the business community said that they would not make a profit if they built giant machines to find manganese rocks at the bottom of the ocean. But with the dizzying price increase of common metals such as copper and nickel, companies can now make a profit. Advancements in robotics have also caused operating costs to plummet. When scientists claim that manganese rock contains all 17 elements in rare earth, many companies feel they cannot hesitate any longer.

Exploiting on the ocean floor is dangerous work. However, today people can use robots to do that job. In addition, digging in the ocean floor is easier than on land. Therefore, Hein said that exploiting rare earth ore under the seabed is a promising business.