Image via WikipediaWhether or not you are an investor in these commodities, or merely interested in learning more about them for investment purposes, you should know that many of the everyday items you use, would not be possible without them. From your computer, your laptop, your cellphone, your catalytic converter in your car, compact discs, low energy light bulbs, your flat screen TV, and the X-ray you got last week, REE's play a vital role in everyday life.
Here is a composite of these elements and their uses.
| Element | Uses in Modern Technology |
| Cerium (Ce) | catalytic converters for diesel engines |
| Praseodymium (Pr) | an alloying agent for aircraft engines |
| Neodymium (Nd) | a key component of high-efficiency magnets and hard disc drives |
| Lanthanum (La) | a major ingredient for hybrid car batteries |
| Samarium (Sm) | lasers and nuclear reactor safety |
| Promethium (Pm) | portable X-rays and a nuclear battery |
| Gadolinium (Gd) | shielding for nuclear reactors, compact discs |
| Dysprosium (Dy) | improves the efficiency of hybrid vehicle motors |
| Terbium (Tb) | a component in low-energy light bulbs |
| Erbium (Er) | fiber optics |
| Europium (Eu) | used in flat screen displays and lasers |
| Holmium (Ho) | nuclear control rods, ultra-powerful magnets |
| Thulium (Tm) | lasers, portable X-rays |
| Ytterbium (Yb) | monitoring equipment for earthquakes |
| Lutetium (Lu) | oil refining |
Junior miners are a big part of the mix of companies looking to increase the west's share of these vital elements and for this article, we have chosen two that are still trading as penny stocks but have properties that show great potential in the mining of these elements as well as Lithium, which is not an REE but is in high demand world wide at this writing.
RARE EARTH METALS AND LITHIUM PLAYS
1. A "sleeper" in the space is TNR Gold Corp (TNR-TSX) which is currently flying under the radar of REE investors. TNR Owns 14 gold, copper, Lithium, and REE properties in Nevada, Canada, Argentina and Ireland. More importantly, TNR "owns 100% of International Lithium Corp" (ILC) which it will spin off next month in an IPO.
owners of TNR stock will automatically own stock and warrants in International Lithium when it is spun out next month. (one share and one warrant for every 4 shares of TNR) Thereby owning "both" companies after the IPO next month. TNR will hold onto it's REE, gold and copper properties as well as one lithium property in Argentina while ILC will owns 17 lithium properties.
TNR projects
TNR projects
Some large Institutional investors in TNR stock include:
Barrick Gold, Pinetree Capital, Tocqueville Fund, Solitario, and NovaGold.
Today's price for TNR-TSX is .20 cents per share.
June 2010- An assessment of TNR Gold Corp by Rick Mills of "Ahead of the Curve"
June 2010- An assessment of TNR Gold Corp by Rick Mills of "Ahead of the Curve"
2. Latin American Minerals Inc. (LAT-TSX)Besides gold, silver, and REE, LAT owns a 17.4% stake in Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC) which has a big stake in the Salars on the Argentina side. LAT also owns rare earth properties (REE's).
Large, institutional Investors in Lithium Americas already include:
Large, institutional Investors in Lithium Americas already include:
- Magna International Inc.
- Mitsubishi Corporation
- PineTree Capital corp.
