REEs refer to a group of 17 unique chemical elements: the lanthanides which are comprised of 15 elements, plus scandium and yttrium which are grouped alongside the lanthanides on account of their similar physical and chemical properties.
REEs are often separated into two sub-groups based on atomic weight. The first of these sub-groups, the light REEs, is comprised of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium (atomic number 57 to 62). The second sub-group, the heavy REEs, is comprised of the lanthanides with an atomic number ranging from 63 to 71: europium, gadolinium, terbium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium as well as scandium and yttrium (atomic numbers 21 and 39). The unique chemical and physical properties of REEs have positioned them as a critical material across a number of rapidly evolving markets and industrial applications.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LON:RBW) is a mining company focussed on production from, and expansion of, the high grade Gakara Rare Earth Project in Burundi, East Africa. With in-situ grades in the range of 47-67% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO), Gakara is one of the world’s richest rare earth deposits.