Searching For Alternatives To China's Rare Earth Monopoly 199
KantIsDead writes "MIT's Technology Review adds to the ongoing discussion of China's monopoly on rare earth metals, an issue that was temporarily catapulted to national attention during China's rare earth embargo of Japan. The current article focuses on the search for alternatives to rare earth metals that would undercut China's monopoly and allow nations to develop their industry without fearing the hand of a Chinese embargo. From the article: 'In the US, the Chinese dominance of rare-earth mineral production has prompted a surge of funding focused on developing permanent magnets that use less, if any, rare-earth materials, such as nearly $7 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E). In one of these projects, University of Nebraska researchers are working to enhance permanent magnets made with an alloy iron and cobalt, or FeCo. This class of materials is sold today, but delivers half or less of the power of the best rare-earth-based magnets. The Nebraska researchers will focus on ways to dope the structural matrix of these alloys with traces of other elements, thereby rearranging their molecular geometry to create stronger, more durable permanent magnetic materials.'"
Re:What about (Score:1, Funny)
I only wonder what lays yet undiscovered in the Antarctic, there is no telling what sort of things can be found there. Though I think treaty prevents any sort of commercial ventures.Though that's just so the Military can establish their secret base there.
The Military just wants you to believe that. They're too embarrassed to admit the penguins keep kicking their asses, so they make up stories like that to throw you off.
Those penguins are deceptively cunning war strategists, it turns out.
Re:Someone had to say it... (Score:4, Funny)
Dig Deeper (Score:3, Funny)
China's on the other side of the planet. If we dig deep enough, we can mine their rare earth.
Re:What about (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Looking elsewhere... (Score:3, Funny)
...northwest territories.
No, Washington and Oregon are states now.
Re:Looking elsewhere... (Score:3, Funny)
Wait... that's a possibility? Well, then... I think we need to get moving on this "mine the belt" idea right away!