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Wednesday, April 18, 2018 7:28:19 PM
16 Million Tonnes of Rare Earth Metals are found near Minami-Torishima Island, Japan - http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201804170045.html
After several universities, businesses and government institutions — surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minami-Torishima Island, Japan, the survey found an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of "rare-earth oxide" was deposited there. The survey was conducted jointly by researcher with Waseda University Yutaro Takaya, and Yasuhiro Kato of the University of Tokyo, among others.
Technology Metals Research LLC founding principal Jack Lifton, who wasn't involved in the research, told The Wall Street Journal "this is a game-changer for Japan. The finding extrapolates that a 2500sq km region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tonnes of the valuable elements."
"Minami-Toishima has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world," Lifton said, "The race to develop these resources is well under way."
The team found that rare earths are concentrated in biogenic calcium phosphate grains in seabed sludge. It said it has developed a method to recover calcium phosphate from the mud by making the concentration of rare earth metals 2.6 times higher using centrifugal technology.
Tests done in a laboratory on land showed that the method could drastically slash mining costs by reducing the volume of mud raised from the seabed, and aim to put it into practical use in the days ahead, team members said.
Yttrium, just one of the metals included in the recent discovery, can be used to make camera lenses, superconductors and mobile phone screens. The deposits also contain enough dysprosium, which is used in the production of hybrid auto motors, to last for 730 years, and 420 years’ worth of terbium, which is used in magneto-optical discs, among other things.
After several universities, businesses and government institutions — surveyed the western Pacific Ocean near Minami-Torishima Island, Japan, the survey found an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of "rare-earth oxide" was deposited there. The survey was conducted jointly by researcher with Waseda University Yutaro Takaya, and Yasuhiro Kato of the University of Tokyo, among others.
Technology Metals Research LLC founding principal Jack Lifton, who wasn't involved in the research, told The Wall Street Journal "this is a game-changer for Japan. The finding extrapolates that a 2500sq km region off the southern Japanese island should contain 16 million tonnes of the valuable elements."
"Minami-Toishima has the potential to supply these metals on a semi-infinite basis to the world," Lifton said, "The race to develop these resources is well under way."
The team found that rare earths are concentrated in biogenic calcium phosphate grains in seabed sludge. It said it has developed a method to recover calcium phosphate from the mud by making the concentration of rare earth metals 2.6 times higher using centrifugal technology.
Tests done in a laboratory on land showed that the method could drastically slash mining costs by reducing the volume of mud raised from the seabed, and aim to put it into practical use in the days ahead, team members said.
Yttrium, just one of the metals included in the recent discovery, can be used to make camera lenses, superconductors and mobile phone screens. The deposits also contain enough dysprosium, which is used in the production of hybrid auto motors, to last for 730 years, and 420 years’ worth of terbium, which is used in magneto-optical discs, among other things.
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