
Rare earth elements, also known as REE or simply rare earths, are a group of seventeen elements from the periodic table, fifteen of which are lanthanides along with yttrium and scandium. Although their names suggest them to be rare in occurrence, it is not the case. Some of these elements are abundantly available; however, their concentrations are significantly low within the ore and, thus, called as rare earth elements. Rare earth elements have substantial and versatile usage in various applications ranging from daily consumer goods to super powerful magnets employed in wind energy generation and in shielding nuclear reactors. Some of the commonly used rare earth elements are yttrium, scandium, lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium. Several of these elements have the potential to be reused and recycled.