High-technology and environmental applications of the rare-earth elements (REE) have grown dramatically in diversity and importance over the past four decades. This book provides a scientific understanding of rare earth properties and uses, present and future. It also points the way to efficient recycle of the rare earths in end-of-use products and efficient use of rare earths in new products.
Scientists and students will appreciate the book's approach to the availability, structure and properties of rare earths and how they have led to myriad critical uses, present and future. Experts should buy this book to get an integrated picture of production and use (present and future) of rare earths and the science behind this picture. This book will prove valuable to.non-scientists as well in order to get an integrated picture of production and use of rare earths in the 21<SUP>st</SUP> Century, and the science behind this picture.
- Defines the chemical, physical and structural properties of rare earths.
- Gives the reader a basic understanding of what rare earths can do for us.
- Describes uses of each rare earth with chemical, physics, and structural explanations for the properties that underlie those uses.
- Allows the reader to understand how rare earths behave and why they are used in present applications and will be used in future applications.
- Explains to the reader where and how rare earths are found and produced and how they are best recycled to minimize environmental impact and energy and water consumption.
Professor Jacques Lucas is a Ph.D. (University of Rennes, France) in solid state chemistry. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and Emeritus professor at the University of Rennes. He has co-authored several books on glasses, ceramics and optics. He has been involved in rare earths research (photonics) as well as teaching for more than 40 years .He published more than 450 articles and co-chaired several international conferences devoted to rare earths doped optical materials. He founded and headed the CNRS Glass and Ceramic laboratory at University of Rennes for 30 years. Three start-up companies were founded based on the laboratory discoveries. He has been associate professor at University of Arizona and invited professor at Kyoto University (Japan) as well as at Shanghai University (China). He is in close contact with Solvay, the world leading company in rare earth separation, as well as with the Chinese and Japanese rare earth scientific community.
Professor Pierre Lucas is a PhD (Arizona State U.) in physical chemistry. He is a professor of Materials Science and Engineering leading several funded research projects on rare-earth doped luminescent glasses. He has been temporarily employed as an analytical chemist at Rhodia's rare-earth refining plant in France. He is author of more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in solid state physics and chemistry.
Doctor Le Mercier is a PhD (University of Paris) with a specialty in solid state chemistry and optical properties of inorganic materials. He has been working for Solvay (previously Rhodia), a world-leading company in rare earths, for 16 years. He is currently the head of research and development department focused on new inorganic materials and breakthrough developments for energy applications and sustainable resources. He has been developing new rare earths pho
