SBC # 553 The Rare Earth Elements: Vitamins of the World Economy SRJC Professor of Chemistry Karen Frindell Teuscher, PhD

17 Vital Elements to a World Economy:
Florescence – Conductivity – Magnetism
These seventeen indispensable elements are found in that mysterious, detached lower section that seems to float below the rest of the periodic table. Their properties, and the properties they confer upon other materials – fluorescence, conductivity, magnetism – are unusual and fascinating. While not technically rare, the chemistry of these elements makes them occur in impure and difficult-to-extract forms, yet they are ubiquitous in modern conveniences like smartphones, LED lights, electric and hybrid cars. Rare earth elements are in demand worldwide with China dominating global production and the rare earth metals market. Dr. Karen Frindell Teuscher will describe the situation of these geopolitical STARS of modern chemistry and share the chemistry and other political and economic factors that keep bringing these popular elements of the PERIODIC TABLE back into the news cycle.