08 sci chemistry essayplan 17mickm

8/2/2019 08 SCI Chemistry EssayPlan 17mickm

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Mick Monsereenusorn 8E

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The properties of rare earth metals make them useful for us,

But are they worth it?

Section AOrganizing data (Use the Referencing tool in Word)

Fact (can be cut and pasted BUT use

quotation marks)

In text

citation

What was the key point (NO CUT AND

PASTING)

China produces more than 95% of the

worlds rare earth metals.

(Reuters) China produces most of the worlds rare

earth metals and can charge any price

and can control the world market.

The name alludes to their elusive

nature, since the17 elementsrarely

exist in pure form. Instead, they mix

diffusely with other minerals

underground, making them costly toextract.

(McLendon) Rare Earth metals dont usually exist in

their pure form and mix with other

elements. That makes it expensive to

extract the element.

And, unfortunately, that isn't their only

drawback. Mining and refining rare

earths makes anenvironmental mess,

leading most countries to neglect their

own reserves, even as demand soars.

(McLendon) Rare Earth metals pollute the

environment when mined and refined so

countries dont want to produce their

own rare Earth metals.

This wasn't a problem until recently,

when China begantightening its gripon

rare earths. The country first imposed

trade limits in 1999, and its exports

shrank by 20 percent from 2005 to

2009. They then took a dramaticnosedive in 2010, squeezing global

supplies amid a dispute with Japan, and

they'vefallen even furtherin 2011.

(McLendon) China can choose how much rare Earth

metals it will sell to the world and

because of that, it will also control the

prices for rare Earth metal.

Much of rare earths' appeal lies in their

ability to perform obscure, highly

specific tasks.Europiumprovides red

phosphor for TVs and computer

monitors, for example, and it has no

known substitute. Cerium similarly rules

the glass-polishing industry, with

"virtually all polished glass products"dependent on it, according to the U.S.

Geological Survey.

(McLendon) Rare Earth metals can do specific tasks

that most metals cant do. A lot of

modern products like electronics need to

use specific rare Earth metals.

While producing rare earths can cause

environmental problems, they have an

eco-friendly side, too. They're vital to

catalytic converters,hybrid carsand

wind turbines, for example, as well as

energy-efficient fluorescent lamps and

magnetic-refrigeration systems.

(McLendon) Rare Earth metals are an important

material when making eco-friendly

products like hybrid cars and wind

turbine. This means that in the future

when we move on from fossil fuel we will

be very dependent on rare Earth metals.

As the AFPreports, farmers near

China's Baotou mine complain of dyingcrops, lost teeth and lost hair, while soil

(McLendon) Toxic chemicals from rare Earth

materials can contaminate water anddestroy nearby farmland.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#rare_earthshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#rare_earthshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#rare_earthshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#environmentalhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#environmentalhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#environmentalhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/china-defends-rare-earth-quotas-as-in-line-with-wtohttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/china-defends-rare-earth-quotas-as-in-line-with-wtohttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/china-defends-rare-earth-quotas-as-in-line-with-wtohttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#europiumhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#europiumhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#europiumhttp://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/hybrid-carshttp://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/hybrid-carshttp://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/hybrid-carshttp://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20110501-276650.htmlhttp://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20110501-276650.htmlhttp://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20110501-276650.htmlhttp://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20110501-276650.htmlhttp://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/hybrid-carshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#europiumhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/china-defends-rare-earth-quotas-as-in-line-with-wtohttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#environmentalhttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-are-rare-earth-metals#rare_earths


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and water tests show high levels of

carcinogens in the area.

But there may be one way to reduce

demand for new mining:rare earth

recycling. China's export policies have

led some Japanese companies torecycle rare earths,

(McLendon) Japanese companies are trying to

recycle rare earth so they can be less

dependent on Chinas rare earth metals

The list of things that contain rare

earths is almost endless. Magnets

made with them are much more

powerful than conventional magnets

and weigh less; that's one reason so

many electronic devices have gotten so

small. Rare earths are also essential to

a host of green machines, including

hybrid cars and wind turbines. The

battery in a single Toyota Priuscontains more than 20 pounds of the

rare earth element lanthanum; the

magnet in a large wind turbine may

contain 500 pounds or more of

neodymium. The U.S. military needs

rare earths for night-vision goggles,

cruise missiles, and other weapons.

(Folger) A lot of things we use contain rare Earth

metals. Magnets that are made with rare

Earth metals are lighter and more

powerful than magnets made by normal

metals. This is the reason a lot of

electronic devices can be built smaller

and lighter. Rare Earth metals can also

be used in hybrid cars and wind turbines.

One large wind turbine can contain 500

or more pounds of neodymium. Weaponssuch as night-vision goggles and cruise

missiles use rare Earth metals.

Rare earth mines often also contain

radioactive elements, such as uranium

and thorium. Villagers near Baotou

reportedly have been relocated becausetheir water and crops have been

contaminated with mining wastes.

Every year the mines near Baotou

produce about ten million tons of

wastewater, much of it either highly

acidic or radioactive, and nearly all of it

untreated.

(Folger) Rare earth metals can contain

radioactive elements like uranium.

Villagers near mines in Baotou, China

have to be relocated because their cropsand water have been contaminated with

mining wastes. Mines near Baotou

produce around ten million tons of

wastewater; most of it is highly acidic or

radioactive. Nearly all of it is untreated.

But some of the smaller mines in

southern China will be more difficult to

controlbecause they're operating

outside the law to begin with. Violentcriminal gangs run dozens of heavily

pollutingand profitablerare earth

mines in Jiangxi and Guangdong

Provinces. Xinhua, the official Chinese

news agency, has reported that

criminals smuggled 20,000 tons of

rare earths from the country in 2008,

nearly a third of the total rare earth

exports for that year.

(Folger) Some mines in China are difficult to

control because theyre not working with

the government. They are run by criminal

gangs and those mines pollute a lot morethan licensed mines. They also make a lot

of rare earth metals. About 20,000 tons

of rare earth metals are smuggled from

china in 2008.

One of the main uses of neodymium is in

the coloring of glass. The element, whenmixed into glass, produces violet, red

(Brown) Neodymium has a lot of uses. A main one

is to color glass. It can produce violet,red and grey shades. Neodymium is also
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-08/hitachi-recycles-rare-earth-as-china-crimps-supply.html


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and grey shades. Welder's glass, used to

make goggles to protect the eyes,

typically contains neodymium.

Neodymium also appears in many

electronics, such as fluorescent lights

and color televisions. Lighter flints useneodymium to produce the necessary

spark for their operation. Permanent

magnets using neodymium are common

and extremely strong. These magnets

have many industrial uses, appearing in

both computers and cars.

used in fluorescent lights and color

televisions. Lighter flints also used

neodymium to be able to create sparks.

Magnets that use neodymium are very

common and they are very strong. These

magnets can have a lot of industrial usessuch is in cars and computers.

In general, neodymium is a relatively

safe substance with few health effects

resulting from occasional contact. Dust

containing neodymium can irritate the

eyes, and neodymium compounds canbe slightly toxic if ingested. Long-term

exposure to neodymium can cause

damage to the lungs when inhaled, and

the accumulation of neodymium in the

body can result in liver problems.

(Brown) Neodymium is a relatively safe element

even though it has same side effects if

we get it into our eyes or ingested. Long-

term exposure to neodymium can also

cause liver problems over a large periodof time and can cause lung damage when

inhaled.

Neodymium is dumped in the

environment in many different places,

mainly by petrol-producing industries. It

can also enter the environment when

household equipment is thrown away.

Neodymium will gradually accumulate insoils and water soils and this will

eventually lead to increasing

concentrations in humans, animals and

soil particles.

(LennTech) Sometimes industries that produce

petrol dump neodymium into the

environment. It can also go into the

environment when household equipment

containing neodymium is thrown away.

Neodymium will gradually gather in waterand soil and this will lead to more

neodymium in humans, animals and soil.

Neodymium is the second most

abundant of the rare-earth elements

(after cerium) an is almost as abundant

as copper. It is found in minerals that

include all lanthanide minerals, such as

monazite and bastnasite. The main areasare Brazil, China, USA, India, Sri Lanka

and Australia. Reserves of neodymium

are estimated to be 8 million tonnes,

world production of neodymium oxide is

about 7.000 tonnes a year.

(LennTech) Neodymium is the second most common

of the rare earth elements. The most

common is cerium. It is also almost as

common as copper. It is found in minerals

that include lanthanide minerals such

monazite. The areas which neodymium isfound is Brazil, China, India, USA, Sri

Lanka and Australia. The amount of

neodymium in the world is estimated to

be 8 million tons. The world production

of neodymium oxide is about 7,000 tons

a year.

While the moniker "rare earths" is

somewhat misleading, as even the rarest

REMs are 200 times more prevalent in

the Earth's crust than gold, the difficulty

with mining these elements is that they

are very rarely concentrated in deposits

(Moir) Rare earth element is a misleading name.

Even some of the rarest rare earth

element is more common in the earth

crust gold. The difficulty with mining

these elements is that they are usually


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sizable enough to be profitably mined,

and when they are, the mines often

contain too much radioactive thorium to

be mined safely.

not concentrated in deposits big enough

to be profitably mined, also sometimes

when they are; the mines often contain

too much radioactive thorium to be

mined safely.

Does your research help your main idea? What questions do you want answering?

Assessment criteriaLevel New Criterion D Reflecting on the impacts of science Descriptor

0 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors

below.

1 State the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific

problem or issue.

State the implications of the use of science and its application in solving a

specific problem or issue interacting with a factor

Attempts to apply scientific language to communicate his or her

understanding but does so with limited effectiveness

Makes little attempt to document sources

2 Outline the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific

problem or issue.

Outline the implications of the use of science and its application in solving a

specific problem or issue interacting with a factor.

Apply scientific language to communicate his or her understanding but does

not do so clearly or precisely.Attempts to document sources correctly.

3 Identify the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific

problem or issue.

Describe the implications of the use of science and its application in solving

a specific problem or issue interacting with a factor.

Apply scientific language to communicate his or her understanding but does

not do so consistently

Document sources but does not always do so correctly.

4 Describe the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specificproblem or issue.

Describe and analyse the implications of the use of science and its

application in solving a specific problem or issue interacting with a factor.

Consistently apply scientific language to communicate his or her

understanding clearly and precisely

Document sources completely

Section B

Planning the essayIntroduction Identify the problem, how is science applied to Problems: Bad for the


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address the problem? Focus on a specific metal or a specific use

(About 200 words)

environment/Hard to find and

only mined in China

Science: Help finding ways for

mines to be safer and greener/

More ways to extract it

Focus: Neodymium

General Statement to introduce topic:

Topic Statement(s) to tell your reader what you are focussing

on:

Controlling Idea to tell your reader the plan for your essay:

Focusing on the fact that

neodymium has very good

uses but can also has many

problems

Looking at the adv/dis of

environmental, economic and

political problems

Main Body 2-3 paragraphs to describe and analyse the

implications of the use of science to solve the issue (About 100-

150 words per paragraph)Option A

One paragraph to focus on an Advantage and then consider it

from different factors e.g. social, political, environmental,

ethical.Next paragraph focussing on a Disadvantage and then

considering it from different factors

Option B

One paragraph to look at a

factor e.g. Political and

look at the advantages and

disadvantages Next paragraph to look at

a different factor e.g.

Economic and look at the

advantages and

disadvantages

Paragraph 1 Topic Statement.

Key facts to include:

Adv/Disadv:

Social/Political/Environmental/Ethical/Economic:

Paragraph 2 Topic Statement..


Adv/Disadv:


Possible Paragraph 3 Topic Statement..


Adv/Disadv:


Conclusion Short summary of the main idea(s) of the essay. Can

also include your own opinion or thoughts about the future. It

should be written in a way that it can be posted on your blog and

everyone understands what your essay was about and what you

thought. (About 200 words)

Neodymium has many good

uses but can harm the

environment.

I think that in the future

people should try to mine

neodymium more safely and

use it in the way that it can be

greener.

In conclusion.Peer review looking for 1) Grammatical flow, 2) Scientific language, 3) Content & Criteria


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NOW WRITE YOUR ESSAY! Good Luck!

Neodymium

Rare earths metals have are a group of elements that have unique properties and are used in

many of modern-day technologies. Theyre found in electronics, wind turbines and hybrid cars.Although rare earths metals can be useful, there are also problems related to them. They can

be very harmful to the environment when mined. Rare earth mines often contain a lot of

radioactive waste such as thorium and uranium. Villagers near mines in Baotou, China have to be

relocated because radioactive waste has contaminated their crops and water. (Folger) The

impact on the environment of mining rare earths elements has made countries which have rare

earth elements not mine it. Scientists are trying to solve these problems by finding new ways to

mine rare earth elements and extracting them into pure metals without harming the

environment. In this essay, Ill be focusing on the metal neodymium. I will be looking at its

advantages and disadvantages based on environmental and economic factors.

Neodymium has a big impact on the environment. The environmental advantages of using

neodymium are that it is used in hybrid cars and wind turbines. One large wind turbine can

contain 500 or more pounds of neodymium. (Folger) Without neodymium, we wouldnt have wind

turbines and that would make people even more dependent on fossil fuels. The batteries of a

Toyota Prius hybrid car also contain neodymium. Without neodymium, the car wouldnt be able to

run. Although neodymium can be made into a variety of environmentally friendly products, it also

pollutes the Earth. When getting mined, neodymium can make an environmental mess. Theres a

lot of waste water from making them and the waste water can be radioactive. If the waste from

the mines go into the soil or water, it will the soil or water will be contaminated. The water

would be undrinkable and the soil cant be used to grow crops. China, which mines more than 95%

of the worlds rare earths metals, tries to make rules and regulations that will make their minessafer. But however, some mines in China are hard to control because theyre not working with

the government. Theyre run by gangs and those mines pollute a lot more than licensed mines.

About 20,000 tons of rare earth metals are smuggled from china in 2008. (Folger) The mines

run by the gangs throw their waste away straight into the environment without treating and

cleaning it first so they can make more money. This leads to the environment being more

polluted than normal. People in that area have to be relocated and move out because their crops

and water are contaminated. This shows that even though neodymium can be used to create

many environmentally friendly things, the process of mining and extracting it damages the

environment severely.

The uses of neodymium also have a big impact on the worlds economy. China produces more than95% of the worlds rare earths metals. (Reuters) It has almost monopolized the worlds rare

earth metal market. Since China produces most of the worlds neodymium, it can control the

prices of neodymium. This wasn't a problem until a few years ago; China began tightening its

grip on rare earths. The country made its first trade limits in 1999. Then its exports were

reduced by 20% from the year 2005 to 2009. The amount went even lower in 2010, reducing the

amount of global supplies. (McLendon) This problem made prices of rare earths metals go up

very higher; because of this companies that make products that use neodymium will be unable to

work if China continues to reduce their amount of neodymium export. The increasing prices of

neodymium will severely damage the economy of countries that use a lot of it. Also, because

China is keeping neodymium for companies in their own country, the companies will get their

neodymium for lower prices and will be able to sell their products for a cheaper price. This will

cause the companies that have to import neodymium spend more money on their products and
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptionshttp://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/us-at-risk-of-rare-earths-supply-disruptions


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will be unable to compete with Chinese companies who can sell their products cheaper. The good

thing about neodymium is that it can help improve Chinas economy. Neodymium can be sold for

an expensive price and can be found all over China. Theres more than 8 million tons of

neodymium in the world. 7000 tons is produced in one year. (LennTech) China produces almost all

of the worlds neodymium so the neodymium mining business is giving China billions of dollars

every year. While neodymium can give producers and lot of money, the increasing prices willmake companies that need to import neodymium lose money.

Neodymium has many good uses. It could be used to create eco-friendly products such as wind

turbines and hybrid car batteries. Its also found in other items such as colored glass, lighter

flints, television and computers. Although it can be made into environmentally friendly products,

neodymium can also harm the environment. The process of mining and extracting neodymium

produces a lot of radioactive waste. These radioactive wastes are usually dumped into the

environment without being treated causing water and soil in areas near mines to be

contaminated. Another issue with neodymium is that China, a country which produces more than

95% of the worlds neodymium is reducing the amount of neodymium it exports. This is causing

companies that use neodymium to make products having not enough supplies and prices of

neodymium increase a lot. I think that neodymium is a very useful metal and we should continue

mining and using it. Although there are many environmental impacts, scientists are finding ways

to mine neodymium without harming the environment as much. The economic problems of

neodymium being too expensive can also be fixed easily. Many countries are now starting to mine

neodymium and the prices will go down. I think that the future for rare earth metals is very

bright. Neodymium has many useful uses and we should continue using it in the future.

Final check

Does your essay:

Cover everything in the assessment criteria Name in header and page numbers

An introduction

At least 2 paragraphs in the main body

A conclusion (and a copy of the conclusion on your blog)

In text citations after every fact

A word count after the conclusion under 1000 words (not including bibliography)

A bibliography in MLA format on a new page

Submitted towww.turnitin.com
http://www.turnitin.com/http://www.turnitin.com/http://www.turnitin.com/http://www.turnitin.com/


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Bibliography:n.d.

Brown, Laurel. Uses of Neodymium. n.d. 14 March 2012

.

Folger, Tim. Rare Earth Elements. 20 June 2011. 14 March 2012

.

LennTech. Neodymium. n.d. 15 March 2012 .

McLendon, Russell. What are rare Earth metals? 22 June 2011. 12 March 2012

.

Moir, Andrew. The chemistry, economics, and politics of neodymium. 28 November 2010. 15 March

2012 .

Reuters. Toyota finds ways to avoid using rare earth metals - Mother Nature Network. 23 Jan 2012.

24 Feb 2012 .

08 sci chemistry essayplan 17mickm

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