Jap team maps 'semi-infinite' rare earth reserves, page-22

You really don't understand much basic economics do you?

What hard data can you point at to suggest China's ionic clays are actually economically viable, particularly if remediation is costed in?

Totally dependent either Eu/Y or Tb/Dy predominant concentrations primarily directed to either phosphors or NdFeB we've witnessed massive, almost immediate demand destruction on the former, and more gradual "design out" of the later, in response to price escalation, to the point now China's Sth ionic zone is operating < 30% capacity.

NONE of the ionic producers report that operation as an individual business, ALL have integrated downstream business to phosphors/lighting and/or metals/alloys/powders/NdFeB.

Numerous reports of State business subsidies paid to these operations since the artificially maintained prices collapsed in August 2015, numerous rounds of purchases by the State Reserve Board incl sucking up 1410t of DyO inventory 2017 alone, then there has been the State sponsored remediation that has just begun on the wastelands created by ionic clay acid leaching across broad areas of Sth China.

Prices artificially maintained, yet production < 30% capacity, end mkts collapsed/collapsing, remediation unfunded, who says ionic clays are viable RE?

Yet the US is frantically pouring both Govt & pte funding into attempted recovery similar RE concentrations in oil sands & coal clay ash, and yet it doesn't even have a phosphor or NdFeB manufacturing base to turn these materials into anything useful???

Demonstrate a real business where < 0.3% TREE can be economically viable, funded & remediated.