Primary Applications
Petroleum-refining catalysts, optical glass, NiMH batteries, ceramics, specialty alloys
Mining Significance
Lanthanum is a light rare earth element recovered from mixed rare-earth minerals such as bastnäsite and monazite. It is rarely mined as a standalone commodity; instead, its economics are tied to multi-element rare-earth deposits and separation circuits. After beneficiation and leaching, lanthanum must be separated from chemically similar rare earths using solvent extraction or related methods.
