REEs & Magnets — Bastnasite

The yellow-brown mineral bastnasite is the main ore mineral of neodymium (Nd), the rare earth element (REE) in Nd-Iron-Boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets.

Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd-Fe-B) magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnet commercially available. They are used in a wide range of applications including electric motors in hybrid and electric vehicles, wind turbine generators, hard disk drives, MRI scanners, and consumer electronics. The mining and processing of bastnasite ore requires careful water management to prevent contamination of local water supplies with rare earth processing chemicals and radioactive byproducts often associated with REE deposits.

Find out more about the intersection of rare earth element mining, water use, and environmental protection.