Many people don’t know what goes into the production of LED lights and other new technologies. Well I, Dr. Bulb, am here to shed some light (get it?) on this process.
One of the components of LED lights, rare earth, is a highly sought after commodity, and mining of these minerals has sparked quite a bit of controversy recently. China, the leading exporter of rare earth due to their large reserves, began limiting their exports of these elements last year; but the bubble that initially raised prices burst, and ever since prices have been dropping.
Part of the reason for the drop in China is that their economic growth has weakened, and in addition to being the largest producers of rare earth, they are also the biggest consumer of the materials. Despite regulations placed on the mining of these materials, illegal mining may skew the actual mining statistics. These recent events have opened the door for other countries mining rare earth to enter the market. Read more on these developments here.
These issues are important to LED manufacturers, especially as LEDs are quickly gaining popularity. LED lights are becoming increasingly popular for many types of lighting including sports and commercial lighting. LEDs are great for many purposes. View different types of LEDs.