Textbook in PDF format

The first two chapters give an overview of the importance of rare earths, and data on production, use, and price, as well as volatility. Ores containing bastnäsite, monazite, and xenotime minerals and cation adsorption clays are industrially important. The ways these are processed to obtain usable forms such as oxides and metals are described in chapters 3–7. A special feature is the number of flow sheets and photographs the authors have thoughtfully provided in addition to equations.
The electronic structure of rare earths is an important topic (covered in chapter 8), and the 4f electron configuration determines their properties, including magnetic and optical behavior, as explained subsequently. Chapters 9–17 discuss applications in catalysis (ceria with platinum group metals), batteries (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymiumnickel in cathodes), alloys (e.g., cast iron, magnesium), magnets (iron-neodymium-boron and samarium-cobalt), glass polishing (ceria), luminescent materials in fluorescent lamps (lanthanum, yttrium, cerium, europium, and terbium), optical-fiber amplifiers (erbium) and medical sensors (gadolinium, cerium, lutetium, and terbium), and lasers (ytterbium and neodymium). In each case, the underlying principles are discussed. The recycling techniques developed for materials used as above are discussed next. The concluding chapter 19 predicts an unstable situation until 2020, with one country dominating production, but holds out hope for new mines and substitutions for rare earths so that we are less dependent on them. The substitutes are often less green. An exception is the light-emitting diode, which has higher energy efficiency and is a replacement for fluorescent lighting containing rare-earth phosphors.
Each chapter starts with a list of objectives and ends with a summary. The book is well illustrated with 6–18 figures per chapter and has a 10-page section containing color photographs. The references (49) and suggested readings (50) are current up to 2014 and adequate, but not extensive, considering the information explosion in this topic. The book is recommended for graduate students with a background in condensed-matter physics, chemistry, and metallurgy; scientists; researchers in materials industries; and the wider audience interested in strategic materials
Preface
Overview
Rare Earth Production, Use and Price
Mining and Rare Earth Concentrate Production
Extracting Rare Earth Elements from Concentrates
Rare Earths Purification, Separation, Precipitation and Calcination
Production of Rare Earth Metals and Alloys-Electrowinning
Metallothermic Rare Earth Metal Reduction
Rare Earth Electronic Structures and Trends in Properties
Rare Earth Catalysts
Rare Earths in Rechargeable Batteries
Rare Earths in Alloys and Metals
Polishing with Rare Earth Oxides Mainly Cerium Oxide Ce02 Permanent Magnets Based on Rare Earths Rare Earth-Based Permanent Magnets Preparation and Uses Introduction to Rare Earth Luminescent Materials Applications of Rare Earth Luminescent Materials Rare Earth Doped Lasers and Optical Amplifiers