2010ISSUE 2

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AT THE AMES LABORATORY

at theAmes Laboratory

Rare Earth Research

• Addressing the shortage

• Developing new technology

• Looking to the future
From the Director

INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 3

R ar e earths ar e suddenly a big deal.

 

he Ames Laboratory has been a world leader in rare-earth science for 

most of its history, and our Materials Preparation Center has established 

itself as the preferred source of certified, research-grade, high-purity rareearth samples to researchers around the world. The Ames Laboratory 

has maintained a capability in rare-earth science because of the unique properties 

of the rare earths, and it has delivered a steady stream of discoveries ranging from 

superconducting compounds, to alloys with special magnetic properties, and all the way to unique mechanical 

properties in intermetallic alloys.

Interest in any particular material is always cyclic, and it usually depends upon scientific discoveries or economic 

issues. The present interest in rare earths comes from a convergence of decades of scientific advances, emerging interest in green technologies and the economics of supply and demand. 

The world’s most powerful permanent magnets are now made from neodymium, iron and boron (sometimes 

with dysprosium, too), and these are used in wind turbines and the motors for hybrid and all-electric cars, along 

with smaller motors and transducers in a huge 

range of applications, including the microphones 

and speakers in our cell phones and other personal electronics. Efficient lighting, whether it 

comes from compact fluorescent lamps or light 

emitting diodes, depends on rare earths. LCD 

displays, light sensors, catalytic converters, advanced batteries and ultraviolet filtering glass all contain rare earths, 

too. A huge range of technologies that relate to renewable energy production or energy efficiency depends on 

the special properties of materials that contain rare-earth elements. 

If there is a green revolution going on out there, then one of its indicators is the demand for rare-earth materials. 

Big magnets in hybrid cars and huge ones in wind turbines are generating demands for tonnage amounts of 

neodymium that threaten to outstrip the world’s available supply. The good news is that the world is building 

greater renewable power generating capacity and more hybrid vehicles. The bad news is that this may all be 

limited by the availability of rare earths. The rising price of neodymium tells you a lot about the world’s progress toward sustainability, even though it is not the only commodity that is impacted by the shift toward green 

technologies.

Despite the name, rare earths are not actually all that rare in the crust of the earth, but they are hard to extract 

in an economic and environmentally appropriate manner. Richer ores make the task easier, and while demand 

and prices were low, the mining of rare earths became largely a monopoly of organizations that had access to 

higher concentrations and less severe environmental regulations. Almost all of the world’s supply of rare earths 

now comes from China, but China does not have the capacity to meet the demand that is projected for the coming years. Prices are rising, and people are asking what can be done to allow the sustainability trend to proceed.

In some ways, we’re the victim of our own success. The Ames Laboratory arguably helped to create this crisis 

by inventing some of the rare earth-based materials that are now in high demand, and also through assisting 

other labs in their work by providing them with rare earths to sustain their research. Now we are working on a 

range of projects that aim to increase the supply of rare earths, through improved extractive technologies and 

recycling, and to reduce the demand, by developing new magnetic materials that use less rare earths, or even 

none at all. Read on to find out how.

From the Director

FEATURES

The Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department 

of Energy laboratory seeking solutions to 

energy-related problems through the exploration of chemical, engineering, materials 

and mathematical sciences, and physics. 

Established in the 1940s with the successful development of the most efficient 

process to produce high-purity uranium 

metal for atomic energy, Ames Lab now 

pursues much broader priorities than the 

materials research that has given the Lab 

international credibility. Responding to issues of national concern, Ames Laboratory 

scientists are actively involved in innovative 

research, science education programs, the 

development of applied technologies and 

the quick transfer of such technologies 

to industry. Uniquely integrated within a 

university environment, the Lab stimulates 

creative thought and encourages scientific 

discovery, providing solutions to complex 

problems and educating and training 

tomorrow’s scientific talent.

Steve Karsjen, Public Affairs Director

Kerry Gibson, Editor

Breehan Gerleman Lucchesi and 

Mark Ingebretsen, Contributing Editors

Grant Luhmann, Art Director

Copyright 2010 by the Ames Laboratory. 

All rights reserved. For additional information about the Ames Laboratory or topics 

covered in this publication, please contact: 

Editor, Inquiry

Ames Laboratory

111 TASF

Ames, Iowa 50011-3020

515-294-9557

www.ameslab.gov

Inquiry is published biannually by the Ames 

Laboratory Office of Public Affairs. Iowa 

State University operates the Laboratory 

for the U.S. Department of Energy under 

contract DE AC02 07CH11358. The Ames 

Laboratory shares a close working relationship with Iowa State University’s Institute 

for Physical Research and Technology, a 

network of scientific research centers.

Contents

Cover: Rare-earth elements hold a special place on the periodic table ENERGY

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF Office of

Science

8 T

10

DEPARTMENTS

3 Director’s Letter

4 Awards

“Mr. Rare Earth” Speaks Out 

Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist Karl Gschneidner Jr. is known 

around the world for his research on rare-earth materials. That 

expertise took him to Capitol Hill earlier this year where he provided key testimony before a House subcommittee looking into a 

potential worldwide shortage of rare-earth elements.

The Root of Rare-earth Research

Since its inception, the Ames Laboratory has been rooted in rareearth research. The Lab’s Materials Preparation Center is the world’s 

leading supplier of research-grade, high-purity rare-earth samples. 

Take a look at what it takes to turn a rare-earth oxide into a topquality sample. 

Where Do We Go from Here?

Low prices and a lack of competition created a rare-earth 

monopoly for China. As demand and prices have risen, what 

can be done to boost supplies? We talk to Ames Laboratory and 

industry experts to get their opinions on how to address the 

shortage and what the future holds. 

Developing Cheaper, Greener Magnets 

Ames Laboratory researchers have come up with a new way to 

produce neodymium-iron-boron magnets that reduces costs as 

well as the harmful byproducts that result from traditional manufacturing methods. 

Mining the Scrap Pile 

While a shortage of raw rare-earth materials looms, could the 

solution be as close as the nearest landfill? Ames Laboratory researchers are taking a look at reclaiming rare-earth materials from 

postconsumer waste and industrial scrap, but the challenges are 

many.

Training the Next Generation 

Raw materials aren’t the only commodity in short supply 

when it comes to rare earths. A lack of funding for rareearth related research could potentially lead to a shortage of 

young researchers pursuing careers in the field. Read how 

the Ames Laboratory continues a long tradition of training 

the next generation of materials scientists.

14

Alex King, Director

Rare earths are critical commodities in the effort to create 

a sustainable energy future, and the Ames Laboratory is a 

national resource in rare-earth science and technology.

18

16

6
4 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 5

 Awards

FORMER SULI STUDENT RECEIVES 

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

Andrew Fidler, a former student in the Ames Laboratory’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, has 

been awarded a prestigious Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship award. Fidler was one of only 150 

students to receive the award, which provides $50,500 per year 

for up to three years to support tuition, living expenses, research 

materials and travel to research.

Fidler was an intern at the Ames Laboratory in 2007, where 

he worked under the guidance of mentor, Ames Lab physicist 

Ruslan Prozorov. Fidler’s 10-week internship at Ames Lab 

resulted in a co-authored paper entitled, “Suprafroth in type-1 

superconductors,” which was published in the prestigious journal, Nature Physics. Following his internship at the Ames Lab, 

Fidler was accepted into graduate school at the University of 

Chicago, where he continues to pursue graduate studies in 

physical chemistry. Following his studies, he plans to pursue a 

tenure-track faculty position.

BRYDEN AND MCCORKLE WIN R&D 100 AWARD

The Ames Laboratory won a 2010 R&D 100 Award for osgBullet, a software package that creates 3-D, realtime computer simulations that can help engineers design complex systems, ranging from next-generation 

power plants to highly efficient cars and tomorrow’s video games.

The R&D 100 Awards, sometimes called the “Oscars of invention,” salute the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year. The 2010 R&D 100 Award marks the 18th 

won by the Ames Laboratory. Lead scientists on the project are Mark Bryden, program director of Ames Laboratory’s Simulation, Modeling and Decision Science research program and an associate professor of mechanical 

engineering at Iowa State University, and Doug McCorkle, associate scientist with both Ames Laboratory and 

ISU’s Virtual Reality Applications Center. Co-developers of osgBullet sharing the R&D 100 Award include the U.S. 

Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Rock Island, Ill.; U.S. Department of Energy’s 

National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, W. Va.; the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National 

Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Skew Matrix Software, Louisville, Colo. 

The osgBullet software tool integrates highly detailed 3-D drawings with physics engines. This enables engineering to design in a real-time computed environment. According to Bryden and McCorkle, “osgBullet allows 

engineers to play ‘what if?’ games” during the design process – changing materials or trying different parts – all 

in a virtual environment, in precise detail and very quickly.

Mark Bryden

Doug McCorkle

Three Ames Laboratory scientists received national Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium. 

Iver Anderson, Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist, won for 

a lead-free solder alloy with wide industry acceptance. Mark 

Bryden, program director for Ames Laboratory’s Simulation, Modeling and Decision Science program, and Doug McCorkle, Ames 

Laboratory associate scientist, along with scientists at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, 

won for VE-PSI, a virtual engineering 

process simulator software.

According to the FLC, the Excellence in Technology Transfer Award 

“recognizes science and technology 

employees in FLC laboratories who 

have accomplished outstanding work 

in the process of transferring federally developed technology. A panel 

of experts from industry, state and 

local government, academia, and the 

federal laboratory system judge the 

nominations.”

Lead-free solder consists of a tinsilver-copper alloy that is a strong, durable, environmentally safe alternative 

to traditional tin-lead solder. This versatile, low-melting-point 

alloy is used for joining electronic microcircuits and electrical contacts and is Ames Lab’s most successful technology to date. It 

is currently licensed to more than 50 companies worldwide and 

has generated more than $20 million in royalties.

Virtual Engineering Process Simulator Interface combines information about process simulation – data and models about 

chemical, physical and biological processes – with computer-aided design drawings and fluid dynamics data to create a comprehensive real-time graphic display of power plant designs. In the 

interactive virtual environment, engineers can analyze multiple 

aspects of a proposed power plant at the same time with the aim 

of optimizing the overall system.

In 2010, five Department of Energy technology transfer successes were selected for the national FLC award out of the 20 

award winners selected from across all federal government 

research laboratories.

“I am thrilled that our researchers have received national recognition from the FLC,” says Deb Covey, Ames Laboratory’s associate director for Sponsored Research Administration. “Having 

Ames Laboratory innovations as winners in two of the five of 

DOE’s Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards is indicative of 

the Laboratory’s commitment to the DOE and the U.S. taxpayer 

to provide new materials, techniques and instrumentation to help 

our economic growth, national defenses and the environment.”

AMES LABORATORY SCIENTISTS WIN NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AWARDS

left to right: Iver Anderson, Mark Bryden and Doug McCorkle

AMES LABORATORY NAMED AN INDUSTRY SAFETY LEADER

The Ames Laboratory has been named a 2010 Industry Leader Award winner by the National 

Safety Council. The Laboratory was one of only 81 organizations to receive the award for safety 

performance and the only DOE national laboratory on the list. The award represents the top 5 

percent of members that have qualified for the National Safety Council 2010 Occupational Excellence Achievement Award, based on 2009 calendar year data.

“I’m pleased that the employees of the Ames Laboratory are being recognized by the National 

Safety Council for their safety efforts,” says Tom Wessels, Ames Lab Environment, Safety, Health 

and Assurance manager. “We use continuous improvement efforts, documented processes, employee safety training, and a comprehensive assessment program to support our safety culture.”

The NSC Industry Leader Award is one component of the NSC Occupational Award Program, 

which recognizes the outstanding safety achievements of NSC members. Winners are selected 

based on North American Industry Classification System code, lowest total incidence rate and 

employee work hours.

The Ames Laboratory was in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector (NAICS 

code 54) that has between 100,000 and 999,999 employee hours. The actual number of employee hours without an incident at the Ames Laboratory for calendar year 2009 was 883,937.

The award was presented at the NSC Annual Awards Celebration that took place Oct. 5, 2010, 

in San Diego.

Expert Driver Award -- 

Keith Schulke, property 

management delivery driver, 

received an Expert Driver 

Certificate from the National 

Safety Council. The certificate recognizes safe driving 

performance of those who 

drive an employer-owned 

vehicle as part of their 

regular daily work. Schulke 

was honored for “17 years 

of exceptional safe driving 

performance.”

HONG AWARDED FOUNDERS’ MEDAL

Mei Hong, Ames Laboratory scientist and Iowa State University professor of chemistry, was awarded the 2010 Founders’ 

Medal from the International Council on Magnetic Resonance 

in Biological Systems (ICMRBS). The 

medal was presented to Hong at the 

ICMRBS conference in Cairns, Australia, 

in August. The award carries a $3,000 

honorarium. 

The Founders’ Medal recognizes exceptional contributions by young scientists to the development and/or progress of the field of magnetic resonance 

in biological systems. ICMRBS noted 

Hong’s outstanding achievements in 

Mei Hong solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance.

Andrew Fidler

Matt Besser: Iowa State University Professional and Scientific 

Excellence Award

Iver Anderson: ISU Award for Achievement in Intellectual Property

Pat Thiel: ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Institutional 

Service Award and ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Master 

Teacher Award

Carol Streit: CYtation Award by the ISU Professional and Scientific 

Council

Charles Zaruba: ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences P&S 

Award for Excellence in Information Technology

Michael Schmidt: ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences P&S 

Research Award

Edward Yu: ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for 

Mid-career Achievement in Research

Tom Barton: ISU Award for Achievement in Economic Development in Iowa

Bill Sears: DOE Cyber Security Award for Innovative Achievement 

in Collaboration
result is that “rare-earth research in the United States on mineral 

extraction, rare-earth separation, processing of the oxides into 

metallic alloys and other useful forms, substitution and recycling 

is virtually zero,” Gschneidner told the House subcommittee. 

What is needed, he said, is a plan to develop and train a new 

generation of scientists and engineers adept at working with rare 

earths. 

The message was especially well received, given the source. 

Gschneidner is one of the few scientists who steadfastly carried 

on with rare-earth research when others focused on other fields. 

Working with small groups of colleagues, he continued to pioneer advancements in rare-earth-dependent technologies. With 

help from fellow researcher Vitalij Pecharsky, a senior scientist at 

Ames Lab, for example, Gschneidner advanced one of the most 

promising uses of rare-earth materials, magnetic refrigeration, a 

green cooling method that relies on the magnetocaloric effect exhibited by the rare-earth element gadolinium and water instead 

of ozone-depleteing gases. Magnetic refrigeration if adopted 

could significantly reduce world energy consumption. 

The magnet that attracted the world’s attention

To dramatize the critical importance of rare-earth technologies, 

Gschneidner showed House subcommittee members a quartersized permanent magnet containing neodymium that he and 

Ames Lab principal scientist emeritus Rick Schmidt developed. 

While high-strength permanent magnets composed of neodymium, iron and boron (Nd2Fe14B) were simultaneously discovered nearly three decades ago by researchers at General Motors 

in the United States and at Sumitomo Special Metals. Co. Ltd. in 

Japan, Gschneidner and Schmidt recently devised a new process 

for creating the magnets that holds the promise of being cheaper 

and more environmentally benign than the methods currently 

used. The so-called Schmidt-Gschneidner process might even 

succeed in returning the permanent magnet industry back to the 

United States. Soon after Gschneidner’s testimony, photos of 

the pair’s matte-black magnet were published on blogs, technical 

magazines and other media outlets throughout the world (see 

page 14 for more details). 

Gschneidner’s ceaseless focus on new and innovative rareearth research has prompted some to call him “Mr. Rare Earth,” 

while a long list of publications heard his plea for more research 

in rare earths. In the weeks following his testimony, the Ames 

Lab scientist was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, while 

the New York Times, Popular Mechanics and the Huffington 

Post, and many technical media outlets published his views.

Even the House subcommittee followed up Gschneidner’s 

appearance with a list of additional questions. And thanks to 

the publicity he generated, bloggers worldwide soon weighed 

in on the subject. Some commentators equated America’s dependence on China for rare earths to the nation’s reliance on 

the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for 

its petroleum. And virtually all appeared to agree with Gschneidner that some sort of plan or program was needed to ensure 

America had access to the rare-earth materials it needed and the 

knowledge to use them in efficient and innovative new ways. 

As Gschneidner himself told the House subcommittee in a 

letter requested as a follow-up to his testimony: if the United 

States is to have a significant manufacturing role in the technologies and products that rely on rare earths, “it is essential that we 

play a leading role in the development of new techniques for 

the efficient production of rare-earth materials from the available 

resources and technologies, which maximize the benefit derived 

from the rare-earth content for a given application, and lead in 

the development of new rare-earth processes and applications.”

by Mark Ingebretsen

6 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 7

Karl Gschneidner’s message is simple. If America is to retain 

its economic and strategic competitiveness, it must regain its 

leadership in rare-earth technologies.

hen Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist

Karl Gschneidner Jr. speaks, people listen – all the 

way up to the halls of the U.S. Congress. In March, 

Gschneidner took his message about the importance of rare-earth elements to the Investigations and Oversight 

Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology and helped ignite a whirlwind of publicity around an issue 

few Americans were even aware of beforehand. 

Speaking to the committee alongside other U.S. rare-earth 

experts from industry and academia, the point of Gschneidner’s 

testimony was both prescient and timely. In the coming decades, 

he said, virtually every technology vital to America’s defense and 

economic well being will make use of rare-earth elements. That’s 

because rare-earth elements are essential to everything from the 

magnets that power electric motors to the precision optics used 

for military lasers.

Losing an industry and the knowledge base that goes with it

Maintaining a leadership position in rare-earth technologies 

might not seem like much of a challenge when you learn that 

many rare-earth technologies were actually pioneered in this 

country and often at the Ames Laboratory itself. In fact, Ames 

Lab’s expertise in processing exotic materials, such as rare earths, 

goes back to the facility’s earliest days, during World War II. It 

was then that scientists, engineers, university students and others 

figured out how to refine tons of weapons-grade uranium, when 

previously only minute sample quantities had been refined. 

But despite those early successes and many subsequent 

American improvements in the way rare earths were refined and 

utilized over the years, the industry, which Gschneidner estimates 

is worth more than $4 billion, shifted to China. Some cite the 

aggressive pricing policies by Chinese mining and processing operations for the industry’s migration to that nation’s shores. What 

is undisputable is that China today controls more than 95 percent of the rare-earth supplies and nearly all rare-earth refining.

And that fact has alarmed those concerned about America’s 

national security and the environment. In the military, rare-earth 

elements are vital to precision-guided munitions, lasers, communication systems, radar systems, avionics, night vision equipment 

and satellites, according to a recent Government Accountability 

Office report. Moreover, rare earths are essential to the success 

of green technologies. 

Gschneidner’s Ames Lab colleague, senior metallurgist Iver 

Anderson, notes, for example, that a single new generation windmill capable of producing three megawatts of electricity requires 

1,500 pounds of the rare-earth element neodymium. Similarly, 

each Toyota Prius hybrid car requires 6.5 pounds of neodymium 

for its electric motor. 

In addition, many of today’s prized consumer goods wouldn’t 

exist without rare earths. Or as Ames Lab senior scientist Bill McCallum puts it, “Rare-earth materials are essential to life as the 

modern American teenager knows it, with applications in MP3 

players, computers, cell phones and visual display technology.” 

 Far more serious is the fact that because the U.S. rare-earth 

industry has been all but extinguished, many talented scientists 

and engineers have largely turned their attention elsewhere. The 

W

“Mr. Rare Earth” 

Ames Laboratory’s

Speaks Out

Karl Gschneidner Jr.

source: australianrareearths.com
T he Roo t o f

The Ames Laboratory’s Materials Preparation 

Center is the source for research-grade samples

8 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 9

are-earth metals play a crucial, but largely

hidden, role in most of the technological breakthroughs 

of the past 30 years. You’ll find them in all types of 

electronics and virtually anything with an electric motor, 

including electric-powered cars and the generators in wind turbines. They are also the “metal” in nickel-metal-hydride batteries 

found in hybrid cars and cordless power tools.

So just what are rare-earth metals? The name commonly 

applies to 17 elements on the periodic table that include scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides, as highlighted in the periodic 

table on Inquiry’s back cover. None of these chemically similar 

elements exist naturally on their own, but are mined as comingled oxides in minerals, such as bastnasite and monazite.

Rare-earth metals are typically used in combination with other metals to create alloys with enhanced properties not found 

in the individual components. Neodymium, for example, when 

combined with iron and boron, creates an alloy with very strong 

magnetic properties. 

At the research forefront

When it comes to studying and producing ultra-high purity rare-earth materials, the Ames Laboratory is the worldrecognized leader. The work began in the 1940s when Frank 

H. Spedding and his colleagues developed the ion-exchange 

process, a technique that separates the “fraternal fifteen” plus 

yttrium and scandium.

That pioneering work and further rare-earth research efforts 

led to a constant demand for samples from the Ames Lab from 

research groups around the globe. To better serve the scientific community’s demand for research materials, the Materials 

Preparation Center was formed. The MPC is a DOE, Office of 

Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences & Engineering specialized research center that’s recognized 

throughout the worldwide research community for its unique capabilities in the preparation, purification, single crystal growth, and 

characterization of rare-earth metals, alkaline-earth metals, and 

refractory-metal materials. MPC operations are primarily funded 

by the DOE’s Materials Discovery, Design, and Synthesis team’s 

Synthesis and Processing Science core research activity.

Established in 1981, the MPC is a one-of-a-kind facility, 

which is acutely sensitive to the needs of researchers. Providing 

research and developmental quantities of high-purity materials 

and unique characterization services to scientists at university, 

industry and government facilities on a cost-recovery basis, the 

MPC allows access to novel materials as they are developed.

The MPC is renowned for its outstanding technical expertise 

in alloy design, creating materials that exhibit ultra-fine microstructures and high strength and high conductivity — properties 

of great potential value to American technology. The MPC also 

has established a reputation for close interaction with its clients, 

providing personalized service to meet each client’s individual 

needs. Each year, the MPC satisfies hundreds of requests for 

customized materials and services that are unavailable from 

commercial suppliers and unmatched in quality anywhere else 

in the world.

Purity is key

In order for researchers to get an accurate picture of the 

properties of a particular alloy, it’s essential to start with the best 

possible materials. 

“Impurities can cause all kinds of problems,“ says Trevor 

Riedemann, an Ames Laboratory scientist and manager of the 

MPC’s rare-earth materials section. “We’ve seen a number of 

cases where competing research groups have seen very disparate properties because the experimenters used different grades 

of rare-earth materials.” 

Producing such high-purity rare-earth metals on a research 

scale requires a multiple-step process that’s basically unchanged 

from the 1940s. Using the best rare-earth oxides available, the 

oxides are first converted to their respective fluorides by exposing them to hydrogen-fluoride gas. These rare-earth “salts” are 

packed with purified calcium in tantalum crucibles. Tantalum is 

used to minimize contamination that would occur if ceramic 

crucibles, such as alumina or zirconia, were used. All the preparation steps take place in highly controlled environments, such 

as an argon gas-filled glove box, to prevent oxidation.

The reduction process is driven by an induction furnace. 

During the reduction process, when the rare-earth fluoride salts 

and calcium melt, from 1500 to 1800 degrees Celsius (2732 

to 3272 degrees Fahrenheit), the calcium bonds with the fluoride, leaving the rare-earth metal. Depending on the specific 

rare-earth metal being refined, additional steps, such as vacuum 

casting, sublimation or distillation, are used to purify the metal.

“Gadolinium, terbium and lutetium are more difficult to refine,” Riedemann says, “because they eat tantalum (the crucible 

material) for lunch. So we have to take additional steps to remove the tantalum that leaches from the crucible.”

Once the materials are refined, they’re stored in a controlled 

environment to prevent oxidation. Depending on what’s needed, 

the MPC can provide the raw, rare-earth material, or produce 

specific alloys that researchers at the Ames Laboratory and other labs around the world might require. In the 2009 calendar 

year, the MPC provided research materials to clients throughout 

the United States, as well as Australia, Austria, Canada, Demark, 

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, 

Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

by Kerry Gibson

R

Ames Lab technician Ross Anderson prepares 

to refine lanthanum by packing a tantalum 

crucible with lanthanum fluoride crystals and 

purified calcium in an argon-filled glovebox.

The tanatlum crucible (left) is placed inside 

a second “heater can” crucible (right) that is 

wrapped with a graphite jacket. The assembly 

is then placed in an induction furnace.

The crucible assembly is placed inside a 

quartz tube that in turn is placed within an 

induction coil. Electrical current applied to the 

coil then heats the lanthanum and calcium.

As the temperature rises, the material inside the crucible begins to glow. Depending 

on the rare-earth metal being used, the rare-earth fluoride and calcium melt between 

1500 and 1800 degrees Celsius, at which point the calcium bonds with the fluoride, 

leaving the purified rare-earth metal. 

Calcium-fluoride salts (black crystals) formed during 

the reduction process are separated from the rareearth metal.

R esearch

Rare-earth metals, oxide powder and fluoride crystal.

Rare-earth
10 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 

hen it comes to rare earths, the problem

seems clear: the United States faces a shortage 

of materials that are important for many technologies. But a variety of perspectives and approaches — from both scientific institutions and industry — will 

likely be needed to address the challenges that lie ahead.

So, Inquiry invited senior scientists at the Ames Laboratory 

and the chief executive officer of Molycorp Minerals, an industry 

leader in rare earths, to weigh in on the current situation and 

their vision for the future. 

WHY ARE RARE EARTHS IMPORTANT?

Alan Russell, Ames Laboratory associate scientist: The general public and even U.S. policy makers probably don’t think 

of rare-earth materials as vital strategic materials. But, if they 

all suddenly vanished overnight, the loss would be devastating. Rare-earth elements are pervasive in modern engineering 

systems. They are essential to efficient operation of hybrid cars, 

computer hard disk drives, magnetic resonance imaging systems 

for medical diagnosis, audio and communications equipment, 

and in electric motors for manufacturing and transportation. 

Bill McCallum, Ames Laboratory senior scientist: Rare 

earths really are in a lot of the technologies we enjoy today – 

things as everyday as cell phones and laptop computers and 

LED and compact fluorescent lights. And rare earths are important if we want to make progress in new technologies.

Mark Smith, chief executive officer of Molycorp Minerals: Yes, 

the list of rare-earth dependent technologies is long, more than 

most people understand. That is particularly true in green techWhere Do We Go from Here?

W nologies. For example, the next generation of 3 megawatt wind 

turbines, which use permanent magnet generators, require about 

one ton of neodymium-iron-boron magnets. Hybrid electric, plugin hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles require rare earths to 

work — and significant amounts at that. In general, hybrid vehicles 

use approximately 10-15 kilograms of rare earths each.

Another area that is getting increased attention in Washington, D.C., is the number of critical defense and homeland security technologies that don’t work without rare earths. A recent 

report by the U.S. General Accounting Office highlighted three 

key findings that got a lot of attention in policymaking circles: a 

“wide variety of defense systems and components ... are dependent on rare-earth materials for functionality”; rare earths in 

military technologies “would be difficult to replace without losing performance”; and several rare earths have “already caused 

some kind of weapon system production delay.” Those findings 

certainly underscore the critical importance of rare earths for the 

future of our nation.

Karl Gschneidner Jr., Ames Laboratory senior scientist: 

Rare-earth magnets are in use in every computer system in the 

world. And every weapons system in the United States depends 

on computers. What happens if all our weapons systems are 

dependent upon a rare-earth supply from China? What will the 

future look like then? 

From a scientific standpoint, rare earths are important because they are so unique. It’s not as easy as just finding substitute materials for rare earths’ uses. Rare earths’ properties 

are hard to replicate or replace. For instance, europium was 

discovered many years ago, and people have been looking to 

replace it for 50 years and haven’t been able to.

by Breehan Gerleman lucchesi

INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 11

WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATUS OF RARE-EARTH

RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES?

Russell: Rare-earth research is ongoing, particularly here 

at Ames Laboratory, but there is a problem: no major funding 

source specifically focuses on research on these materials. This 

seems odd in light of the major push to develop alternative 

energy generation and utilization technologies. Rare-earth elements are vital to many of these technologies. 

Smith: There is no question that we’ve allowed support in 

the United States for rare-earth research and production to deteriorate. And it is a situation that needs to be reversed, and soon.

When you consider how important and ubiquitous rare 

earths are in so many advanced technologies — from renewable 

power generation to hybrid and electric vehicles to advanced 

communications to military systems — the lack of rare-earth research and development is both surprising and disturbing. I 

have yet to find a single university in the U.S. that offers students 

an undergraduate or graduate level course specific to rare-earth 

development or application research — not a single one. In 

sharp contrast, China has thousands and thousands of scientists 

and researchers who focus on rare-earth research and development and applications deployment.

When Molycorp began looking five years ago for scientists and researchers with experience and background in rare 

earths, we could find virtually none. We had to hire bright, 

young scientists with no rare-earth experience and train them 

almost from scratch.

Essentially, we unleashed these bright young minds, let them 

experiment and investigate and think outside of the box for several years. Now, that investment turned out to be very much 

worthwhile, as our research and development team has come 

up with truly breakthrough technologies and processes that we 

are now implementing at our Mountain Pass Rare Earth Facility.

But it was a sobering experience to learn how thin America’s 

rare-earth research “bench” has become. [Editor’s note: Read 

about Ames Laboratory’s efforts to educate a new generation 

of rare-earth experts on page 19.]

Russell: I think the lack of emphasis on rare-earth research 

is partially the fault of scientists for failing to explain to policy 

makers the importance of the rare-earth elements in many 

technologies. For example, when one looks at a wind generator, the importance of the structural materials used for towers 

and blades is immediately obvious. Much less obvious is the 

Experts weigh in on current challenges 

and future opportunities for rare earths

Mark Smith, chief executive officer 

of Molycorp Minerals, a U.S. rare-earth 

producer and technology company

Bill McCallum, Ames Laboratory senior 

scientist and Iowa Sate University adjunct 

professor of materials science and engineering, director of Ames Lab’s Rare-earth 

Information Center from 1996 to 2002

Iver Anderson, Ames Laboratory senior 

metallurgist and Iowa State University 

adjuct professor of Materials Science and 

Engineering

Karl Gschneidner Jr., Ames Laboratory 

senior materials scientist and Iowa State 

University Anson Marston Distinguished 

Professor, director of Ames Lab’s Rare-earth 

Information Center from 1966 to 1996

Alan Russell, Ames Laboratory senior 

materials scientist and Iowa State University professor of materials science 

and engineering
12 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 13

fact that each generator contains neodymium, and without the 

neodymium, the generator would be much heavier and less 

efficient. Similarly, discussions on hybrid cars tend to focus on 

the cars’ fuel mileage, price, and performance while overlooking the fact that each Toyota Prius motor uses 1 kilogram of 

neodymium, and each battery requires 10 to 15 kilograms of 

lanthanum. And these numbers are expected to nearly double 

as newer, more fuel efficient versions of the car are introduced. 

Smith: The good news is that I’m very optimistic that this 

trend of overlooking rare earths is about to reverse itself. Policy 

makers at the highest levels of our government are awakening 

to the critical role that rare earths play in our rapidly evolving 

“new energy economy” and to the fact that we have allowed 

ourselves to become much too dependent upon non-U.S. 

sources of rare-earth materials. Elected officials of both political 

parties are beginning to push policy initiatives across many areas 

of rare earths, and I think that this trend will result in increased 

support for rare-earth research and development in this country.

Gschneidner: I agree. Rare-earth research is picking up. 

Ames Laboratory probably does as much research on rare-earth 

materials as the rest of the United States put together. But rare 

earths are getting more attention lately, and our experience at 

Ames Lab is very beneficial to the discussion.

McCallum: For example, Ames Lab has scientists who are 

looking at the basic physics of rare-earth materials, and we have 

research in processing.

Iver Anderson, Ames Laboratory senior scientist: And I’d 

say that in the work of Larry Jones and the Ames Lab’s Materials Preparation Center, we are working most on processing improvements and developing incrementally better ways to refine 

rare-earth oxides to produce the best metal. We’re perfecting 

the steps in the process, but that still leaves the problem of 

whether there are some totally new routes to getting more efficiently to the end product. We have the potential to make 

that kind of breakthrough in the collapse of the processing steps, 

but that will need a dedicated study, not just the filling of a researcher’s order. I think that the work of Rick Schmidt and Karl 

Gschneidner on new routes to rare-earth magnet alloys is a step 

in the right direction.

WHAT WOULD THE IDEAL FUTURE FOR RARE EARTHS IN

THE UNITED STATES LOOK LIKE?

Gschneidner: Much more rare-earth research. I think one 

of the things we need in this country is a national rare-earth 

research center devoted to examining some of the critical 

scientific problems. This type of research would be applied, 

rather than basic. And it should include academic courses on 

rare-earth materials and separation processes. All types of rareearth research might not be able to take place in one location. 

Instead, different laboratories and universities should focus on 

their strengths. 

Russell: Yes, ideally the United States would establish a national center for both fundamental and applied research in the 

chemical, metallurgical, magnetic, optical and electronic properties of rare-earth elements. And the United States should 

restore its production capabilities for rare-earth elements. 

Smith: In my view, the ideal future for rare earths in the 

U.S. involves three elements: alternative, non-Chinese sources of supply; a complete mine-to-magnets manufacturing 

supply chain on U.S. soil; and restoring the U.S. to a position 

of global leadership in rare-earth research, development and 

application innovation.

With regard to sources of supply, no entity should allow itself 

to become dependent on any single source. That is especially true of U.S. government agencies, such as the Defense 

Department. My hope is that we will eventually see several 

reliable sources of rare earths in North America. Molycorp may 

be the only U.S. producer of rare earths able to significantly 

ramp up production over the next several years. Our production will place the United States in a position of virtual rare-earth 

independence, given that our output will meet or exceed U.S. 

demand. But additional alternative sources of supply are going 

to be needed, particularly as the green technology revolution 

continues to grow.

We also need to deploy in this nation a complete mine-tomagnets manufacturing supply chain. Fortunately, Molycorp is 

on track to deliver this to the U.S. as well, and in only two years.

The key to success in this regard is to keep processing and manufacturing costs low — at a level that can compete successfully 

against Chinese producers — and to partner or joint venture 

with those companies that have access to intellectual property 

related to rare-earth alloying and neodymium-iron-boron magnet manufacturing. Without such joint venture partnerships, no 

U.S. company will be able to make rare-earth alloys or magnets 

until at least 2014. Molycorp is positioned to succeed on both 

of these counts.

Anderson: I agree with Mark. We need to have a set of 

companies that are able to vertically integrate their operations 

from mining to final products, and this may take the form of 

several companies banding together into a partnership. It could 

be one company grabbing a hold of all the process steps. But 

I think it’s going to be through vertical integration that we can 

get at least to the highest value-added stage that it becomes 

profitable. That’s really what’s going to be important. And we 

could follow that one step further to go from the magnets now 

and later, an exclusive deal with a motor manufacturer or an 

engine manufacturer. Those would be great. Can we vertically 

integrate to that step? It’s certainly what the Chinese are trying 

to do. But we have all the technology here in the United States. 

The companies have to organize themselves. I think that makes 

the most sense to me.

McCallum: If we want to have the good jobs here manufacturing products that contain rare earths, we have to have our 

own supplies. As I understand it, a major problem at the current 

time is the cost of setting up a rare-earth operation where you 

are actually producing metal. 

If we scientists can do research and increase the efficiency of 

things like separations, then the capital requirements go down 

and we have a better chance of getting where we need to be.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE THE IDEAL FUTURE FOR 

RARE EARTHS IN THE UNITED STATES?

Smith: I would say four things are necessary to achieve an 

ideal future for rare earths in our nation. Three of those are 

areas on which Molycorp is focusing intensely. One, we need to 

establish alternative, non-Chinese sources of rare-earth supplies.

Two, we need to establish a complete, domestic mining-to-magnets manufacturing supply chain that utilizes new technologies 

that can keep U.S. rare-earth materials costs competitive with 

any producer in the world. Three, we need to explore economic 

paths to rare-earth recycling. Four, we need to significantly ramp 

up support for basic and applied rare-earth research and development, including reestablishing rare-earth-specific curricula in 

our colleges and universities.

Molycorp is on track to deliver to the nation solutions on 

items one through three. Item four will require action by the 

U.S. Congress and the presidential administration and coordiRare-earth research is picking up. Ames Laboratory probably does as much 

research on rare-earth materials as the rest of the United States put together. 

But rare earths are getting more attention lately, and our experience at Ames 

Lab is very beneficial to the discussion. — Karl Gschneidner, Ames Laboratory senior scientist

nated initiatives by the private sector, academia and research 

institutes. I am optimistic that the United States will succeed in 

achieving all four of these objectives.

Gschneidner: Mark’s right. Rare-earth research and development at national laboratories and universities needs support. 

Money. Simple as that. And it’s an investment that’s vital to the 

United States. Only 5 percent of rare earths used today come 

from elsewhere than China. That’s a real monopoly.

Russell: It has sometimes been said that Americans aren’t 

particularly good at anticipating problems, but they are remarkably effective at responding to problems (think Pearl Harbor). If 

that is true, perhaps the impending shortages and price spikes 

in the global rare-earth marketplace will catalyze establishment 

of a national rare-earth research center. The United States already has many national targeted research centers. Perhaps 

the time will soon come to establish a national center for rareearth research in the United States. It could serve to coordinate research on rare-earth production, recycling, fundamental 

science and technology development. China has had such a 

center for decades.

Anderson: If we organize a center here at Ames Laboratory 

or elsewhere that’s a start. But what scientists would really like 

to have is some competition, somebody who has a slightly different viewpoint and a slightly different pathway. And you’re 

trading results. 

If we are going to retain a lot of our rare-earth knowledge 

here in the United States, we are better off with some peer 

groups that are capable of reviewing the work we’re doing and 

maybe to have their own work going as well. I’d like to see at 

least a second center and maybe even a third rare-earth research center. So, now we’re talking about some real money 

here, but that’s a strategic investment by the country. I think science benefits from having competitive programs with different 

themes, and the study of rare earths is big enough and important enough that there’s room for a lot of research.
14 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 15

mes Laboratory scientists have come up with

a new process to prepare neodymium-iron-boron 

(Nd2Fe14B) permanent magnets that has the potential to enable them to be produced economically in 

the United States. What’s more, the Ames Laboratory process 

doesn’t produce the environmentally unfriendly byproducts that 

result from traditional manufacturing methods. 

“Neodymium-iron-boron magnets represent perhaps one of 

the most important uses of rare-earth elements,” says Karl Gschneidner Jr., senior metallurgist at Ames Lab, who co-developed 

the process along with Rick Schmidt, principal scientist emeritus. 

“They’re the most powerful magnets in the world.” And they can 

be found in every computer and every hybrid and electric vehicle 

that rolls off an assembly line as well as a wide array of consumer, commercial and military products.

Little wonder. Permanent magnets make up a $4.1 billion 

global industry. Over the years, however, production of neodymium-based magnets has shifted to China and other low-cost-producing nations. The hope is that the new technology will help 

U.S.-based companies compete with these other nations on an 

economic basis.

The Schmidt-Gschneidner process leveraged know-how that 

had been amassed at the Ames Laboratory for more than half 

a century. Early lessons learned from the Lab’s World War II 

role processing uranium were put to use by scientists researching rare earths. As breakthroughs at the Lab continued over 

A

the years, the scientific community began to view the Ames’ 

facility as “one of the best places to be if you’re researching 

rare earths,” Gschneidner says. Now, fast forward to the early 

1980s, when the discovery of Nd2Fe14B magnets by U.S. and 

Japanese researchers set off a renewed flurry of related research at the Ames Lab and elsewhere. 

Owing to their unique advantages of strength and durability, manufacturers began incorporating Nd2Fe14B magnets into 

more and more products. The unfortunate tradeoff was an 

increase in the amount of unhealthy waste materials created 

as ever-larger amounts of neodymium for the magnets was 

being processed.

Indeed, the conventional refining process starts with the neodymium oxide, but goes through two steps in order to obtain 

the neodymium metal. Waste products are associated with both 

these steps, and they must be handled in an environmentally 

friendly manner. 

In 2009, Ames Laboratory researchers began work on a 

greener process for refining neodymium. Instead of two steps, 

“it is a one-step process going from the neodymium oxide to the 

neodymium master alloy,” Gschneidner explains, “and since the 

end-products are completely utilized, there are no waste materials to dispose of.” 

A green process with the potential to bring a greater share of 

the permanent magnet industry back to U.S. shores represents 

a major achievement in itself. But the greatest long-term benefit 

of the Ames Lab process may be yet to come. Gschneidner 

believes that “a modification of this process should enable us to 

prepare a lanthanum [element 57 on the periodic table] master 

alloy to produce lanthanum-nickel-metal hydride batteries, which 

are used in hybrid and electric vehicles.”

A cheaper, greener battery for the world’s growing fleet of 

hybrid vehicles could eliminate untold tons of carbon dioxide, 

and it’s just the kind of industry needed to help ensure America’s 

economic health for decades to come.

D eveloping

Greener,Cheaper

by Mark Ingebretsen

A cheaper, greener 

battery for the 

world’s growing fleet of hybrid vehicles could 

eliminate untold tons of carbon dioxide.

Karl Gschneidner Jr. , Ames Laboratory 

senior metallurgist, holds a neodymiumiron-boron magnet made using a new 

one-step refining process that eliminates 

waste products. 
16 INQUIRY Issue 2 

• 2010 

Mining the Scrap Pile

INQUIRY Issue 1• 2010 17

form of rare-earth materials. Researchers will be looking to 

combine some processing steps so non-rare-earth elements can 

be separated from rare-earth elements in one continuous process.

“From a scientific standpoint, we look at the recycling problem 

and say it’s something we ought to be able to do,” McCallum 

adds. “Some of the economic factors are out of our control, 

but as scientists, we can examine and improve the processes. 

We can then determine their cost and have a starting point for 

improving economic viability of rare-earth recycling.”

Ames Laboratory brings decades of previous rare-earth 

research to the challenges of rare-earth recycling. In fact, many 

rare-earth processing techniques currently in use all over the 

world were originally developed at Ames Lab.

“The Ames Laboratory has the ability to tap a considerable 

amount of knowledge that was gained in developing rare-earth 

processing,” says McCallum. “We have reports, papers and 

records that other laboratories and researchers do not have 

access to. In addition, some personnel who are most familiar 

with the previous research are retired but are still available 

to consult. This will be true for a relatively narrow window in 

time. Thus, if we are going to address the rare-earth recycling 

challenge, the time is now.”

The Ames Laboratory’s research goals in the area of 

rare-earth recycling include developing a metallic flux 

process to recover rare earths in magnets, 

hilea shortage of raw rare-earth

materials available to the United States draws near, 

the number of rare-earth-containing products, 

such as cell phones and hybrid cars, appears to be 

ever growing. Scrap from the manufacturing of these consumer 

products contains some rare-earth material, and the products 

themselves are eventually discarded by their owners. So, could 

the United States create a new supply stream of rare earths 

by recycling them from industrial scrap and post-consumer 

products?

Perhaps. And scientists at the Ames Laboratory are working to 

improve rare-earth recycling processes.

“We’ll be looking at questions of how you recover rare earths 

from a wide variety of mixed alloys, at the same time, at a reason-

able price, without creating any additional hazardous waste,” says 

Bill McCallum, a senior materials scientist at Ames Laboratory 

and part of a team evaluating rare-earth recycling.

The end goal may be developing an alternative to current 

rare-earth alloy separation processes, which 

start with an oxide 

batteries and magnetic refrigerant; developing an efficient process 

for mixed materials not suitable for metallic flux processes; and 

modifying current processes to recover rare-earth elements from 

phosphors, lasers and optical materials. 

“But, right now, regardless of whether materials come from 

discarded post-consumer items or industrial scrap, recycling rare 

earths faces some economic challenges,” says McCallum.

For instance, in most consumer goods, like laptop computers 

or hybrid vehicles, the amount of rare earths in products is a 

relatively small part of the whole. So costs for dismantling a 

cell phone or a car are prohibitively high in comparison to the 

potential value of the salvaged rare earths. 

The relatively high cost of separating materials also holds true 

for manufacturing scrap created when rare-earth magnets are 

produced. Most current manufacturing processes result in some 

broken magnets and other scrap pieces, all of which contain 

alloys with high concentrations of rare-earth materials with some 

potential for recycling. 

However, most magnet companies use the same production 

lines for many different grades of rare-earth magnets, which 

contain different concentrations of rare-earths. Manufacturers 

do not currently separate out scrap according to composition 

because it would introduce additional costs. The result is a 

mixture of scrap containing a fluctuating blend of alloys, making 

any potential recycling process difficult.

“Even if this mixed material is separated, the resulting material 

is not very usable in preparing new alloy because it is oxidized,” 

said McCallum. “For now, it’s cheaper to dump rare-earth manu-

facturing scrap in a landfill than to attempt to separate the scrap 

alloy, let alone attempt to separate out the rare-earth elements 

in the alloy for reuse.”

But, as the volume of rare-earth materials in use in the United 

States and elsewhere grows and the supply of virgin rare earths 

dwindles, recycling discarded rare earths may become appealing 

and perhaps necessary.

“We know that if we can bring down the cost and increase 

the efficiency of rare-earth recycling, it will tip the balance toward 

increased recovery of rare earths,” says McCallum.

W

by Breehan Gerleman lucchesi

16 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 

Ames Laboratory brings decades of previous 

rare-earth research to challenges of rare-earth 

recycling. In fact, many rare-earth processing 

techniques currently in use all over the world 

were originally developed at Ames Lab.
 a “ education

18 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 INQUIRY Issue 2 • 2010 19

mes Laboratory has several scientists

involved in rare-earth research. In fact, due to its large 

theoretical and experimental research base, the Lab 

probably does as much research on materials science 

and engineering, including rare-earths, as the rest of the United 

States put together, according to Karl Gschneidner Jr., Lab senior 

metallurgist and winner of the Frank Spedding Award, the top honor for researchers in the field of rare-earth science. So why would 

there be any concern about the future of rare-earth research and 

education at the Lab, or in the United States, for that matter? The 

answer has to do with longevity. 

When you look at the Lab’s leading rare-earth researchers right 

now, their average age is approximately 67 years old. That statistic 

is skewed somewhat by the ages of Gschneidner (79) and senior 

chemist and 2005 Spedding Award winner John Corbett (84). 

But even when not figuring in their ages, the average is around 61. 

Some scientists feel that’s a statistic of mild concern. 

“This is not a healthy situation for the long term,” says 60-year 

old Alan Russell, Ames Laboratory associate and rare-earth scientist. Russell believes it’s imperative there be a cadre of people at 

the Lab who understand the rare earths so that each time a new 

technology is under development, they can be called upon to answer key research questions. “Right now we have a fair number of 

people who can do this, but it’s important that we support upcoming students to ensure that continues to be the case,” Russell adds.

Russell supports one Ph.D. student who’s involved in rare-earth 

research. Andrew Becker has been conducting research measuring the effect of elevated temperature on a yttrium-copper intermetallic compound. As an undergraduate in materials engineering, Becker says he found his niche at the Lab after listening first to 

one of Gschneidner’s lectures on magnetic refrigeration and then 

by taking a class with Russell. 

“Working with these two scientists, especially Dr. Gschneidner, 

who is so well known in the rare-earth field, has been a huge advantage,” says Becker, who received his Ph.D. this summer and is 

continuing on at Iowa State University as a postdoctoral research 

associate. Following that, he hopes to find a position in academia 

that would potentially allow him to continue rare-earth research. 

Most Ames Lab scientists agree the obvious key to attracting students is having outstanding projects upon which they can 

work. Their challenge has and always will be finding funding for 

research, whether it is fundamental or applied. 

The ebb and flow of rare-earth 

research funding is nothing new to 

Gschneidner, who has witnessed 

the ups and downs of the funding 

stream for most of the past 60 years. 

Gschneidner was a graduate student at Ames Laboratory in 1952 

and was mentored by none other 

than Frank Spedding, the Lab’s first 

director and the person Gschneidner 

refers to as the “father” of rare earths. 

Spedding’s rare-earth expertise was 

the catalyst for the creation of the 

uranium purification project at the 

Ames Lab for the Manhattan Project. 

Known as “Mr. Rare Earth” himself, 

Gschneidner earlier this year testified before Congress on the 

need for a national rare-earth research center in the United States 

that would cover most aspects of rare-earth research. The center 

would also be a catalyst for improving opportunities for student 

research on the rare earths. 

That’s good news to Katherine Ament, a Ph.D. student in 

Gschneidner’s research group, who has spent the last year studying the magnetic properties of neodymium-iron-boron compounds 

in an effort to improve their strength. Upon graduation, she plans 

to take her rare-earth knowledge and use it to help find a job in 

industry. Like Becker, her introduction to rare earths was more of 

a chance happening. “I was looking for a ‘different’ type of project, 

and this one came up. It kind of fit, and I enjoy it,” says Ament. 

Ament believes the current national discussion on rare-earth 

research, production and education can only help lead to a greater 

number of student research opportunities at the Ames Laboratory 

and other DOE labs. “I don’t think it’s an obvious story yet, not in 

the classroom anyway, but there’s certainly more interest than in 

previous years,” she says. As a student, she also recognizes that 

the common denominator for future success hinges greatly upon 

government or private-sector funding available for both fundamental and applied rare-earth research. 

Nathaniel Oster, a graduate student working with Ames Lab 

senior metallurgist Iver Anderson, hopes the current national discussion on rare earths will lead to a greater number of “practical research” opportunities, which has been his focus. Oster is 

currently studying rare-earth iron-boron magnets for applications 

A

Looks Bright

by steve karsjen

Students eager to become next generation of rare-earth scientists

The Future of Rare Earth Education Rare-earth Education 

Putting Their Experience to Work for Students 

After a 15-year hiatus, the course, “Chemical and Physical 

Metallurgy of the Rare Earths” is once again being taught 

at Iowa State University, beginning in the 2010-2011 

academic year. Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist Vitalij Pecharsky now teaches the course that was taught for 

Karl Gschneidner many years by his colleague, Karl Gschneidner. 

Katherine Ament Nathaniel Oster Andrew Becker

Alan Russell Iver Anderson

in the auto industry, such as traction 

motors for hybrid or electric vehicles. 

“I’m “passionate” about having some 

type of impact on the energy sector,” 

he says, and he believes more practical research opportunities will draw 

more students to rare-earth research. 

In addition to strong research opportunities, Oster believes students will also 

be drawn to opportunities to work with 

leading rare-earth researchers, such 

as those who work at the Ames Lab. 

Oster refers to the Lab’s researchers as 

“the best rare-earth researchers in the 

world,” and predicts their expertise and 

guidance eventually will help someone 

make a “huge” difference in the rare-earth research world. 

“Students follow research opportunities,” says Anderson. And 

in fact, he already sees new opportunities for student research that 

have been out of vogue for quite some time. “The extraction of 

rare earths was the focus of the Lab years ago, and I think we’re 

now getting to the point in the development of rare-earth applications that it’s time to take a second look at extraction and processing so we have the ability to reinvigorate that whole industry in 

this country.” 

Anderson goes on to mention numerous current rare-earth 

challenges, including the recovery and processing of used and 

scrap magnets. “I think there’s a lot of room in the research angle 

of these subjects, and the key to interesting students is having 

researchers working on the problems,” Anderson concludes.
2010ISSUE 2

Ames Laboratory

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