The U.S. opened its first new rare earths mine in over 70 years with the Brook Mine in Wyoming, which held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government is to become the biggest shareholder. Rare earths are essential to huge amounts of modern technology, such as smartphones, magnets, displays, and much more. Despite their name, they are not particularly rare in the Earth’s crust, but they are typically dispersed and difficult to extract in economically viable concentrations. In an attempt to corner the market, China has long used government subsidies to push prices down, making rare earths mining unprofitable, forcing companies in other countries out of the business. Rare earths refer to a group of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the 15 lanthanides (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium) plus scandium and yttrium. Jonathan Josephs for The Beeb:
Key applications include: Taptic Engine: Found in iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, this component uses recycled rare earths (e.g., neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium) to create haptic feedback that mimics physical button clicks, enhancing the user experience on touchscreens. Magnets: REEs like neodymium and dysprosium are used in magnets across devices such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, and AirPods, particularly in features like MagSafe charging and accessory attachments. Speakers and Audio Components: Elements such as neodymium are employed in the magnets of speakers like HomePod and AirPods for sound production. Cameras: REEs contribute to the performance of camera systems, including actuators and lenses. Displays: Lanthanum and other REEs help enhance the vivid color and quality of screens in devices like iPhones and iPads. Apple has been increasing its use of recycled REEs, targeting 100% recycled rare earths in all magnets by the end of this year. Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon. The post U.S. opens first rare earths mine in over 70 years, backed by Trump administration appeared first on MacDailyNews. You're currently a free subscriber to MacDailyNews. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Friday, July 11, 2025
U.S. opens first rare earths mine in over 70 years, backed by Trump administration
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