It is interesting to note how certain countries dominate particular parts of the periodic table.  South Africa has a large lock on the Platinum Group Metals (PGM’s) and crystalline carbon (diamonds).  According to the South African Department of Minerals and Energy, South Africa has 62 % of the worlds supply of PGM’s.  The ore bodies are located in the Bushveld complex in the northeastern section of the country. 

China finds itself flush with perhaps the largest reserves of rare earths- scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides.  In my travels I see that a good bit of applied research is being done with rare earths in China, some of which is being reported in publications that I only see from a Google search. OK, I don’t have a matrix of data to prove this.  But it appears that SciFinder hasn’t covered Chinese research as well as I thought.  Not too surprising I suppose, given the language and distance barriers.

It is very clear that China has a thriving, though unruly, rare earth metals industry.  The value of this natural resource is not lost on them. They are not content to export tech grade products so that others can squeeze the value added from refinement. They are busy trying to extract that other natural resource- the value of skillful application.