Consider the following statements regarding Rare Earth Elements (REEs): 1. REEs are a group of 17 chemically similar elements including Cerium, Yttrium, and Europium, known for their lustrous, silvery-white appearance. 2. Although REEs are abundantly found in the Earth’s crust, they are difficult to extract due to their dispersed occurrence and the complexity of separating them. 3. REEs are mainly used in decorative jewelry and food preservation technologies. 4. China not only holds the largest reserves of REEs but also dominates over 85% of the global supply chain due to its advanced processing capabilities. How many of the above statements are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] Only one

[B] Only two

[C] Only three

[D] All four

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1: Correct. Rare Earth Elements include 17 elements like Cerium (Ce), Yttrium (Y), and Europium (Eu), which are known for their metallic luster and soft texture.
Statement 2: Correct. Though these elements are not rare in terms of abundance, they are rarely found in concentrated and easily mineable forms, making extraction complex and expensive.
Statement 3: Incorrect. REEs are not primarily used in jewelry or food preservation. Their major applications are in defense (e.g., radars), electronics (e.g., smartphones, computers), industrial catalysts, alloys, and clean energy tech like solar panels and wind turbines.
Statement 4: Correct. China has a dominant role in the REE market, not just in reserves, but particularly due to its technical edge in processing and refining, controlling over 85% of the supply chain.

Source– IE

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