Economics of rare earth elements in ceramic capacitors

Ceramic capacitors are an indispensable component in electronic circuits, since they are used in various applications such as timing, filtering, and decoupling. These capacitors are doped with REEs that improve their operating life and electrical properties. In this paper, the economics of rare earth elements (REEs) are reviewed in light of their importance in ceramic capacitors. The developing rare earth element supply and demand crisis that can negatively impact the ceramic capacitor industry and, hence, the global economy, is explained. The cause of this crisis and the response of the world are also discussed. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.