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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..
Key facts to include:
Adv/Disadv:
Social/Political/Environmental/Ethical/Economic:
Possible Paragraph 3 Topic Statement..
Key facts to include:
Adv/Disadv:
Social/Political/Environmental/Ethical/Economic:
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
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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 .