Basic research challenges China’s monopoly on rare earth elements
Monazite is a fairly common mineral that contains rare earth elements. Here, monazite from Djupedal, Västervik. Photo: Julia Sordyl.
The transition to a sustainable society is in need of new methods for extracting rare earth elements (REE). Within the research area Sustainable materials and material flows, Martin Sahlberg is investigating the possibilities of using Sweden’s deposits in magnet production.
Martin Sahlberg, Professor of Materials Chemistry, Uppsala University. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.
Materials that are essential for the transition to a sustainable society are currently being extracted using methods that are far from sustainable or environment-friendly. Magnets based on REE are manufactured in China, which has very different legislation to Sweden, for example.
“It’s a geopolitical problem,” says Martin Sahlberg, Professor of Materials Chemistry at Uppsala University.
“In the last year with the trade war and the US tariffs, we’ve seen that China halted exports of rare earth elements. We can also mention Trump’s move on Greenland and the Ukraine–United States Mineral Resources Agreement as other examples of geopolitical conflicts.”
You need toxic chemicals to purify and isolate rare earth elements from rare earth minerals, and radioactive elements are often found in the same places.
“It’s rather a dirty business today,” says Martin Sahlberg.
Rare earth elements are not actually rare
They are used in the production of displays and various functional materials that are critical for a sustainable societal transition. Despite the name however, Martin Sahlberg says that REE are not particularly rare in themselves, but it is rare to find them in high enough concentrations to be economically exploitable.
“In Sweden our possibilities for extracting REE, even when compared internationally, are relatively good,” he says.
For example there are rare earth mineral deposits in Kiruna, Bergslagen and Norra Kärr outside Gränna. Martin Sahlberg’s research in the research area Sustainable materials and material flows is about creating the conditions for extracting these metals in Sweden and designing new functional magnets with a chemical composition as close as possible to what is found in our deposits. That has the potential to minimise the environmental impact of both purification and manufacturing.
“Today, China basically has a world monopoly, but we not only have deposits but also good access to water and relatively cheap energy. There is also an interest in leading the green transition here in Sweden,” he continues.
The What’s in Your Fridge approach
The interdisciplinary project is expected to run for many years. In the early stage, there is a need to get an overview of Sweden’s rare earth mineral deposits.
“It’s a bit like the TV show What’s in Your Fridge,” says Martin Sahlberg to illustrate the process.
“Historically, we have mined for a specific metal – iron, copper or maybe gold. We’re taking a broader approach here to find out what elements there are in the deposits and in what proportions. We make an inventory of ‘what’s in the fridge’ so that we can use all these elements in the most efficient way possible. We’re creating new ‘magnet recipes’ based on the elements we have available,” he explains.
To find the most sustainable pathway from rock to finished product, materials theoretical physicists, geologists and materials engineers are all working together. Martin Sahlberg describes the project as application-inspired basic research.
“What we are doing is basic research but in an area that is technologically incredibly important.”
Sigrid Asker