什么是稀土？稀土的独特价值与中国的优势

Core Insights - Rare earth elements are critical strategic metals essential for national development, particularly in high-tech fields such as semiconductors, new energy, and defense [1] Group 1: Definition and Strategic Value - Rare earth refers to a total of 17 metallic elements in the chemical periodic table, including 15 lanthanides, as well as scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y). They are typically divided into light rare earths and heavy rare earths, with the latter being scarcer and more strategically valuable [4] - Rare earths are known as "industrial vitamins" due to their excellent magnetic, optical, and electrical properties, making them key materials in high-tech industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, wind power, aerospace, and defense [4] Group 2: China's Role in the Global Supply Chain - China is the only country with the capability to produce the entire rare earth industry chain, controlling approximately 90% of global rare earth processing capacity, particularly excelling in heavy rare earth separation technology [4][6] - The recent upgrade in China's export control policy on rare earths includes new regulations on five types of heavy rare earths and extends to rare earth technologies, equipment, and raw materials. It also requires foreign companies using Chinese rare earths or technologies for re-export to obtain Chinese permission [4][7] Group 3: Unique Characteristics and Advantages - Rare earth elements possess a unique 4f electron structure, allowing for significant enhancements in material properties with minimal additions. For instance, neodymium-iron-boron magnets are crucial for high-performance motors and hard disk drives, while terbium and dysprosium stabilize magnets at high temperatures [6] - China's advantages lie not only in its rare earth reserves but also in decades of accumulated, hard-to-replicate smelting and separation technologies, along with a complete industry chain [6] Group 4: Global Regulatory Changes and Challenges - The introduction of China's "foreign direct product rule" indicates that products manufactured abroad containing specific Chinese rare earth elements or utilizing Chinese rare earth technologies will be subject to Chinese export controls. This marks a shift from resource exportation to rule exportation and control over global supply chain pricing [7] - Despite having rare earth resources, countries like the United States and Australia heavily rely on China for heavy rare earth refining and separation, with analyses suggesting that the U.S. may lag behind China in heavy rare earth separation technology by approximately 20 years, making it difficult to establish an independent rare earth supply chain in the short term [7] Group 5: Applications in Semiconductor Industry - Rare earths play multiple critical roles in semiconductor manufacturing, including precision equipment where neodymium-iron-boron magnets are essential for achieving nanometer-level precision in motion, and in stabilizing laser systems with materials like terbium gallium garnet crystals [7] - In the chemical mechanical polishing stage of chip manufacturing, cerium dioxide abrasives are the mainstream choice due to their high selectivity and efficiency. Additionally, rare earth elements such as lanthanum and yttrium are incorporated to optimize the performance of transistor gate dielectrics in advanced processes [7]