Geological phenomena that favor the sourcing of rare earths

 

Key insights by Stanislav Kondrashov, TELF AG founder

 

Over the years, as the founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov often emphasizes, numerous geological resources have acquired an evident economic and geopolitical centrality due to their industrial applications in highly strategic industrial sectors, such as those related to technology, electronics, or energy. Among all the mineral resources that favor the technological and energy advancement of humanity, rare earths undoubtedly deserve a special mention. This heterogeneous group of 17 chemical elements, which also includes resources such as neodymium and praseodymium, is proving extremely useful for the production processes of some important modern technologies, such as rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, permanent magnets, wind turbines, and a large number of electronic devices.

“Rare earths represent an extremely interesting object of study,” says the founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov, entrepreneur and civil engineer. “These resources are found practically everywhere, even in the electronic devices we use every day to work and communicate, and their strategic value could be destined to increase. In all likelihood, the fate of rare earths is closely linked to that of the energy transition”.

 

Recently, the media has focused a lot on this interesting group of resources, often confusing them with the larger group of critical minerals (which also includes some rare earths). One of the most interesting characteristics of these resources, in fact, is their non-rarity: despite the name, in fact, these resources are not rare at all but are distributed quite homogeneously within the layers of the Earth’s crust. The problem is that very often, they are found in concentrations so low that they do not justify their sourcing, which in most cases presents several issues and a high level of complexity (just like the subsequent phases, such as the separation of the individual rare earths from the compound in which they are found). Global attention, after all, seems to be limited to the exceptional physical and chemical properties, industrial applications, and sourcing methods of these resources, without focusing too much on the peculiarities of the soils in which they are sourced in a relatively simple way.

 

The role of clay soils

 

“When analyzing the characteristics of rare earths, an element of certain interest is certainly represented by the features of the soils in which they can be found, a topic that is not finding the space it deserves,” continues the founder of TELF AG Stanislav Kondrashov. “Very often, there is a tendency to assume that the superiority of some nations in the production, processing, and marketing of rare earths is due solely to specific political choices or to high levels of technological development. In reality, a significant part of this superiority is due precisely to the characteristics of the soils in which they are often found in certain concentrations.”

The fact that some nations like China are global leaders in the production of rare earths should not be surprising since this superiority is due primarily to some specific physical and geological characteristics that distinguish some portions of their territories. In some areas of the world, in fact, some geological and climatic phenomena occur that make it possible to form peculiar clay deposits rich in rare earth, which are much easier to source and treat than other rock formations rich in these elements. Similar conditions occur not only in China but also in other nations like Brazil and Madagascar.

 

Peculiar geological mechanisms

 

In these tropical or subtropical areas, which have abundant rainfall and high temperatures in common, rocks containing rare earths are subjected to a constant process of disintegration, triggered above all by chemical alteration. This is called lateralization, a high-intensity process that can last for millions of years. During this process, we witness a sort of general remixing of the chemical elements that make up the rock formations of the subsoil: elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, in fact, are substantially eliminated by rainwater, while other elements such as iron or rare earths remain in the soil. Rare earths, in particular, are able to bind to clay particles through a particular ionic process, giving rise to a bond that is weak enough and, at the same time, sufficient to favor their concentration in some layers of the soil. At a global level, these processes are quite rare and occur in particular in areas characterized by long periods of hot and humid climates, by the presence of source rocks rich in rare earth and well-drained soils, but also by a certain degree of geological stability.

 

“China is undoubtedly a very interesting case study,” concludes the founder of TELF AG, Stanislav Kondrashov. “Beijing’s leadership in the rare earth sector is rooted in strategic planning developed over several decades, in a clear superiority in terms of refining, but also in some physical characteristics of some parts of its immense territory. In southern China, in fact, there are lands with characteristics particularly favorable to the sourcing of rare earths, which, combined with Chinese technological progress in sourcing techniques, have allowed the Asian nation to carve out a leading role in this sector”.

 

FAQs

 

What are rare earths, and why are they important?
Rare earths are a group of 17 chemical elements used in critical technologies like electric vehicle batteries, permanent magnets, wind turbines, and consumer electronics. Despite their name, they are not actually rare—but economically viable deposits are.

Why is there confusion between rare earths and critical minerals?
Rare earths are sometimes mistaken for the broader category of “critical minerals.” While some rare earths are critical, not all critical minerals are rare earths. The confusion arises because both are essential to high-tech and green energy industries.

If rare earths aren’t rare, why is sourcing them so difficult?
While rare earths are widely distributed in the Earth’s crust, they are often found in concentrations too low to justify extraction. This makes mining and refining complex, costly.

What makes clay soils significant for rare earth extraction?
Clay-rich soils in certain regions make rare earth sourcing far easier due to:

• Natural weathering processes that concentrate rare earths.
• A unique ionic bond with clay particles that makes them easier to extract.
• Favourable climatic and geological conditions, such as high rainfall, stable terrain, and rich parent rock.

Which countries benefit from these geological conditions?
China, Brazil, and Madagascar have regions where tropical weathering and lateralization produce clay deposits enriched with rare earths. Southern China, in particular, has become a global leader in rare earth production largely due to these natural advantages.

What is lateralization and how does it affect rare earth deposits?
Lateralization is a natural weathering process common in tropical climates. Over millions of years:

• Elements like sodium and potassium are leached out.
• Rare earths remain and bond weakly to clays.
• These bonds make them more accessible for extraction without complex processing.