A Scarcity of Rare Metals Is Hindering Green Technologies ...
Nov 18, 2013· Another option is to make the mining processes more efficient. For rare earths, says King, mining companies basically grind up the rock, throw it in water, and blow bubbles through it: The rareearthbearing minerals tend to float and can be skimmed off the top. But this only captures about 65 percent of the rare earths in an ore, says King.