Graphene what is it and what can we do with it?

Graphene is a member of a class of 2-dimensional materials discovered by Professor Andre Geim's research group at the University of Manchester; it also falls into a category of what people call rare earth minerals. It consists of a hexagonal makeup of carbon atoms, just like those found in a large chunk of graphite. 2D materials display some very interesting properties, and are fundamentally different from the 3D materials we encounter in our everyday lives. The discovery of 2D materials means that scientists now have access to materials of all dimensions, including 0D and 1D.   

Graphene can be used for many different purposes including:

Transistors

Graphene can be used to make excellent non-metal transistors. It is so thin we can easily control whether or not it conducts by applying an electric field, it is actually one of the thinnest materials in the world. The people who design transistors have been trying to do this with metals for years, however they have not been able to do so with metal films thin enough to affect their conductibility. The Electrons in Graphene also travel erratically over microscopic distances. As a result, Graphene transistors can run at higher frequencies and more competently than the silicon transistors we use now. At the moment we have no way to produce entire cohesive circuits from these transistors since we are extremely limited by the amount of Graphene we can produce.

Gas Sensors

When gas molecules land on Graphene it affects electronic properties in a measurable way.  In fact, scientists have measured the effect of a single molecule combining with a single particle of Graphene. This means that scientists can create gas sensors, which are sensitive to a single atom or molecule!

Support systems for Transmission Electron Microscopes

Graphene is effectively the thinnest material that we can make out of atoms. Surprisingly it is also very strong, thanks to a lack of crystal boundaries to break along and very strong bonds between carbon atoms.

Inert Coatings

Graphene is resistant to attack by many powerful acids and alkalis such as hydrofluoric acid and ammonia, so one day it could be used to give objects an atomically thin protective coating which would provide protection against these powerful chemicals.

So as you can see, Graphene is another example of what can be had by harnessing the power of rare earth minerals.  Using the resources made available to us by our environment, new breakthroughs in technology are being made on a daily basis.  

The Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association is a Colorado nonprofit corporation formed to facilitate the development and commercialization of rare earth technologies critical to the economic and national security interests of developed nations.  REITA’s Vision is to be the premier association of industry, government and academic partners meeting the global need for Rare Earth materials and products.

How Europe will Meet its Renewable Energy Goals

It is said by the year 2020, Europe will have not only me but exceeded the goal of energy made and used via green energy sources by 20%. Remarkably Wind energy will generate 14% of Europe’s total electricity demand in 2020.  That will be more than any other renewable source to date, up from a dismal 4% in 2009. Ireland will be the country with the highest wind energy penetration level at 36.4% of its total electricity demand, followed by Denmark at 31%, both of which are putting their somewhat windy climate to use for the betterment of a country.  Numerous countries have already surpassed their needed targets in the electricity and heating sectors, and it’s likely that the entire region will move past the goal well ahead of schedule.

                15 countries in the EU plan to meet and exceed their nationally set target by the year 2020, led at the front by Bulgaria at +2.8% above their target goal, Spain +2.7%, Greece +2.2%, Hungary +1.7 and Germany at +1.6% above goal. As of now 10 Member States will meet their national goal, and only just two Member States, Luxembourg -2.1% and Italy -0.9%, have informed the European Commission that they foresee using the cooperation connections of the country to meet their national targets.

The 34% of Europe’s electricity demand met by renewable energy in 2020 is made up of 14% from wind energy (10% onshore, 4% offshore), 10.5% from hydro, 6.6% from biomass, 2.4% from solar photovoltaic, 0.5% from CSP, 0.3% from geothermal and 0.1% from ocean, all of which not only positively impact the environment but also create more jobs for the ailing European economy. 

Several larger countries are making the greatest strides in the advancement in green energy.  Spain and Germany are amongst the top European countries for renewable energy, with the Spanish government announcing it is on track to generate 22.7 per cent of its power from renewable by 2020, which is almost three percentage points above its 20 per cent target.”

Of all the various green energy sources, none could be greater than wind turbine energy.  Wind turbine technology projections suggest that energy potential from these sources may be equivalent to almost 20 times more energy than needed in 2020, with the biggest onshore wind potentials in North-Western Europe and the greatest offshore wind potential in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with some limited potential in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association is a Colorado nonprofit corporation formed to facilitate the development and commercialization of rare earth technologies critical to the economic and national security interests of developed nations.  REITA’s Vision is to be the premier association of industry, government and academic partners meeting the global need for Rare Earth materials and products.

Batteries Made from Rare Earth Minerals, How to Get longer Battery Life

Rare Earth Minerals are slowly becoming something that behind the scenes are becoming ever so important in our daily lives.  Everything from makeups to car batteries is taking advantage of what these jewels of the earth have to offer.  One area that these are seeing an environmental impact in is the area of rechargeable batteries.  There are 17 so called “rare earth” elements. Examples of Rare Earths are: Neodymium and lanthanum. Currently China controls the production of 90% of all rare earths.  If rare earths are used then batteries are stronger, last longer and are more efficient. Because of this, batteries that are made using rare earths can be smaller than batteries made without them.

Today, many hybrid cars are utilizing the power of lanthanum.  Lanthanum makes up about 10 pounds of weight in many of these vehicles, most hybrid car drivers don't even know they use this rare earth element every day. That's because the batteries in hybrid cars are referred to as "nickel-metal hydride." The "metal" in question oddly enough is lanthanum. A big breakthrough in battery technology, nickel-lanthanum hydride batteries pack more power into a smaller space—they're about twice as efficient as the standard lead-acid car battery.  The power of this element is so much that the car maker Toyota, whose production of hybrid cars accounts for roughly 8% of their manufacturing has invested in a rare earth mine.

Most of what we do on a daily basis revolves around battery power. They could be powering the car that we drive to and from work every day, or our television remote that makes changing the station so much easier.   We are surrounded by batteries and battery powered electronics. Rare Earth Minerals are around us and many times we never know.  Next time you reach for a battery, take notice of not only what it’s used for but what it’s made from.  You could be using a piece of the earth in its purest form, Rare Earth Minerals. The Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association is a Colorado nonprofit corporation formed to facilitate the development and commercialization of rare earth technologies critical to the economic and national security interests of developed nations.  REITA’s Vision is to be the premier association of industry, government and academic partners meeting the global need for Rare Earth materials and products.

Rare Earth Minerals Aid Environmentally Green Movement

  Background
     Rare earth minerals are found in a large amount of your everyday products, cellular phones, hybrid cars, fiber optics are just a few to be named. Plenty of green energy sources are created with rare earth minerals like lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, however, with China's restrictions on rare earth exports, and the fact that they produce almost all of these minerals, they have created a monopoly for themselves.
     Rare earth mineral mining is not only tricky but extremely dangerous, and while we are dependent on these minerals for some green energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. They are also needed for common things such as televisions and computers. With China's export restraints, it is making it harder for other countries to supply enough products using these minerals for the demand. On the other hand, China feels that they are following World Trade Organization rules.
     China wasn't always depended on by the United states for rare earth minerals. In 2002 the main mine in Mountain Pass, California was closed due to environmental restrictions as well as a lowered price for rare earth elements. Another concern was the difficulty of replacing some of these materials. Even with the security concerns of these materials, the increased demand of advanced-technology and green energy sources in the U.S. and other countries has encouraged the attempt of reopening the mine. In 2010, Molycorp Minerals LLC announced the reopening of the Mountain Pass pit mine. The materials mined out of Mountain Pass will be used for green energy sources for electric cars, wind turbines, solar cells among other high technology and green products.
    With the reopening of this mine, not only are more jobs created, but the ability to produce and export electronics and green energy sources could also help our economy.

 What you can do to help
     First and foremost, recycle. If you recycle things like old batteries, cellular phones and computers it will help lower the need of mining rare earth minerals and extend our supply of them. This will cause a greater turnaround for green energy sources. The Green Energy Sources industry is growing at rapid speeds and having readily available resources to be recycled will only quicken the turnaround. End of use recycling can also help encourage new uses for the materials.
    You can also help raise awareness. With the amount and availability of these rare earth minerals at a possible risk, inform those around you to take part in the green movement by recycling. If rare earth minerals were to end up controlled by only one government, recycling would help ensure our industries' future assets with regards to these materials, as well as create a more cost effective production of green energy.

Rare Earth Minerals are More Critical to You in Your Daily Life than You May Think

Rare Earth Minerals are crucial to the manufacture of high and low tech products. These products include a wide range of items we use every day, like IPhones and aluminum baseball bats, to sophisticated technologies like jet fighter engines. These elements are also essential to developing new green technology. 

About Rare Earth Minerals

Rare Earth Minerals are seventeen elements on the periodic table first discovered in the eighteenth century and made useful in products such as cars and televisions in the 1960s. These elements are actually quite common, but extracting them and purifying them is extremely difficult. The extraction and purification process has yet to be fully developed in most of the world, and China currently possesses the largest deposits found on earth and has the best infrastructure to mine the elements at a much lower cost than anywhere else. It is expected that due to the lack of infrastructure elsewhere, including the US, there will be a shortfall in supply over the next few years.

Chemically, rare earth minerals are coveted because of their ability to accept and give up electrons, making them crucial for sophisticated magnetic, optical, electronic and catalytic reactions.   

Effect on Green Technologies

With the rapidly increasing demand for greener technologies and green energy, these rare earth minerals become increasingly vital to the future world economy.

The Obama Administration is pushing hard to create a market for greener technology, including electric vehicles, and wind turbines - technology that relies on rare earth minerals for production. A hybrid vehicle, for example, requires several rare earth minerals for its permanent magnets to replace or supplement its combustion engine. 

As the clean energy sector grows, rare earth minerals will be integral in several new technologies such as electric diesel engines, off road vehicles and new fuel cell systems. 

Effect on National Defense

Rare Earth Minerals are being used to develop military technologies as well, from unmanned aircraft, guided missiles, laser targeting, and almost all computerized sophisticated weapons and communications. These elements are crucial to almost all new weapon systems the US military currently uses or will be developed in the future. 

Concerns

Ninety-nine percent of all rare earth mineral production and application is in China. China and Japan are the only countries that are able to make the products that go into direct drive wind turbines and make Compact Fluorescent Lamps. In order to compete with these countries, US companies and consortium such as REITA need to develop the infrastructure to deal with the increasing demand for alternative energy as the world's stores of fossil fuels dwindle. While China is able to export rare earth minerals to the US and other countries, it will be unable to keep up with global demand of certain elements in the next two to three years, creating a global shortfall. 

The application of rare earth minerals is crucial to the future of the world economy and infrastructure is needed here and elsewhere for the production of green technologies.