Prospects for the Development of the Russian Rare-Earth Metal Industry in View of the Global Energy Transition—A Review

Global energy transition trends are reflected not only in oil and gas market dynamics, but also in the development of related sectors. They influence the demand for various types of metals and minerals. It is well-known that clean technologies require far more metals than their counterparts relying on fossil fuels. Nowadays, rare-earth metals (REMs) have become part and parcel of green technologies as they are widely used in wind turbine generators, motors for electric vehicles, and permanent magnet generators, and there are no materials to substitute them. Consequently, growth in demand for this group of metals can be projected in the near future. The topic discussed is particularly relevant for Russia. On the one hand, current trends associated with the global energy transition affect the country’s economy, which largely depends on hydrocarbon exports. On the other hand, Russia possesses huge REM reserves, which may take the country on a low-carbon development path. However, they are not being exploited. The aim of this study is to investigate the prospects for the development of Russia’s rare-earth metal industry in view of the global energy transition. The study is based on an extensive list of references. The methods applied include content analysis, strategic management methods and instruments, as well as planning and forecasting. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the global energy sector’s development, identifies the relationship between the REM market and modern green technologies, and elaborates the conceptual framework for the development of the REM industry in the context of the latest global tendencies. It also contains a critical analysis of the current trends in the Russian energy sector and the plans to develop the industry of green technologies, forecasts future trends in metal consumption within based on existing plans, and makes conclusions on future prospects for the development of the REM industry in Russia.

Eucalyptus Leaves as Potential Indicators of Gold Mine in Indonesia

Eucalyptus is a plant that is able to absorb gold (Au) particles from the soil and store them in the leaves. Eucalyptus roots have the ability to penetrate the soil of the calcrete zone, which is rich in the mineral calcium (Ca). Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. and contains Au particles as impurities, making this plant a potential natural indicator (biogeochemical) of potential Au metal mining. The Au content in eucalyptus leaves can be determined by using the XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) instrumentation material analysis method for qualitative analysis and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) for quantitative results. The form of XRF characterization of the intensity versus energy spectrum of certain elements from the XRF analysis results obtained is a spectrum with a peak power of 9.731 keV which indicates the presence of Au metal in the sample. The results obtained qualitatively are the Au metal content in the eucalyptus leaf sample of (9.0 ± 0.5) ppm. However, the Au metal content in each leaf sample was different. This provides information that Eucalyptus from different plants has the potential to be a biogeochemical indicator of potential Au metal mining in Indonesia

Ba2B5O8(OH)2(NO3)·3H2O: the design of an alkaline earth metal borate-nitrate optimized from a hydroxylic borate

The first alkaline earth metal borate-nitrate, namely, Ba2B5O8(OH)2(NO3)·3H2O (BBNOH), has been synthesized by the hydrothermal method. BBNOH crystallizes in the space group of P21/c and exhibits two-dimensional (2D) 2∞[B5O8(OH)2]3-borate anion...

Phosphinoindenyl and Phosphazidoindenyl Complexes of Lanthanum and Samarium: Synthesis, Characterisation, and Hydroamination Catalysis

The phosphinoindenyl rare-earth metal complexes [1-(Ph2P)-η5-C9H6]2LnIIIN(SiMe3)2, Ln = La (1-La), Sm (1-Sm), were prepared by heating two equivalents of 1-(Ph2P)C9H7 with LnIII[N(SiMe3)2]3 in toluene at 100 °C. The treatment of...

Alkaline Metal and Alkaline Earth Metal Salts of Di(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)Methanone (DTO): Energetic Catalysts for Ammonium Perchlorate Decomposition

To explore novel coordination complexes for promising energetic materials, alkaline metal (Na+ (1), Na+ (2), K+ (3), and Rb+ (4)) and alkaline earth metal (Mg2+ (5), Ca2+ (6), and Sr2+...