Glossary
Speak the language of critical minerals
Clear, business-level definitions of the terms that shape rare earth and critical mineral markets, from NdPr to offtake.
Terms in this glossary
Categories
How the glossary is organized
Elements
The rare earths and critical minerals themselves.
Processing
The steps that turn ore into usable materials.
Commercial
How material is bought, sold and contracted.
Risk
The concepts behind supply-chain vulnerability.
Policy
Rules and reserves that shape availability.
Markets
Prices, signals and the terms traders use.
Elements
Rare earth essentials
What are REEs?
Rare earth elements: a group of 17 metals, the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium, essential to magnets, catalysts, electronics and defense systems.
What are LREEs?
Light rare earth elements, such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium. They are generally more abundant and widely used.
What are HREEs?
Heavy rare earth elements, such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium. They are scarcer, often more valuable and critical for high-performance applications.
What is NdPr?
Neodymium-praseodymium, the rare earth pairing at the heart of high-strength permanent magnets used in EV motors, wind turbines and defense systems.
Why do Dy and Tb matter?
Dysprosium and terbium help magnets keep their strength at high temperatures, which makes them vital for demanding motors.
What is a critical mineral?
A mineral that is essential to the economy or national security and faces meaningful supply risk. Lists vary by country.
Why it matters
A shared vocabulary makes faster decisions
When procurement, trading, finance and policy teams speak the same language, briefings land faster and decisions get made sooner. Eve Intelligence uses these terms consistently and can explain any of them in context.
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Processing and commercial
From ore to agreement
What is SX separation?
Solvent extraction separation: the stage that splits mixed rare earths into individual elements or oxides. Capacity is concentrated, which makes it a key chokepoint.
What is an oxide?
A common commercial form of a separated rare earth, often the reference point for pricing.
What is offtake?
An agreement for a buyer to purchase a share of a project’s future output, often used to support development and secure supply.
What is an RFQ?
A request for quotation: a buyer’s invitation for counterparties to offer price and terms for a specific material.
What is an indicative price?
A guide to where a material is trading, useful for planning and negotiation rather than a binding quote.
Risk and policy
Understanding supply risk
What is concentration risk?
The vulnerability that arises when supply of a material depends on a small number of countries or companies.
What is a chokepoint?
A stage of the supply chain, such as separation or refining, where limited capacity can constrain the entire market.
What is an export control?
A government rule that restricts or licenses the export of certain materials or technologies, often for strategic reasons.
What is a strategic reserve?
A stockpile of critical materials held by governments or organizations to cushion against disruption.
What is supply-chain exposure?
How much your operations depend on materials, regions or stages that carry risk.
In Eve
Every term, live in context
- 17
- Rare earth elements
- 50+
- Critical minerals
- 190+
- Jurisdictions watched
- 24/7
- Monitoring
Clarity starts with a shared language. Know the terms, and the market starts to make sense.
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