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Purpose <p>China dominates the global rare earth supply chain. However, current assessments of rare earth resource depletion generally rely on globally averaged characterization factors and often use production statistics as a proxy for annual extraction, which may not adequately reflect actual lithospheric extraction and the regional characteristics of China’s rare earth resource system. This study aims to develop China-specific characterization factors for individual rare earth elements (REEs) to improve the regional representativeness of depletion assessment for REE-intensive products for a short-term time perspective.</p> Methods <p>In this study, the key parameters of two established depletion-assessment models, abiotic depletion potential (ADP) and surplus ore potential (SOP), were localized and modified. Core regional parameters representing the present economic and technical situation in China, including rare earth reserves, ore grades, elemental distributions, and mining and smelting recovery rates, were incorporated to establish the regionalized characterization models ADP-CN and SOP-CN for the short-term time perspective. Based on China’s economic and proven reserve data, characterization factors were calculated for 15 individual REEs. The applicability of the developed factors was evaluated through a case study of sintered neodymium–iron–boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets.</p> Results and discussion <p>The results showed that characterization factors based on economic reserves were generally higher than those based on proven reserves, and that medium and heavy REEs exhibited substantially higher depletion factors than light REEs. Under the ADP-CN framework, lutetium (Lu) showed the highest characterization factor, approximately 1,340 times that of cerium (Ce). Under the SOP-CN framework, thulium (Tm) had a characterization factor about 300 times higher than Ce, indicating substantially greater depletion pressure and future extraction burden for medium and heavy REEs. In the NdFeB magnet case study, ADP-CN results based on China-specific factors were about three orders of magnitude higher than those based on global-scale factors, while SOP-CN results were around two times higher. These findings show that globally uniform factors may substantially underestimate the depletion impacts of REE-intensive products in the Chinese context.</p> Conclusion <p>This study developed China-specific characterization factors for the depletion assessment of individual REEs within the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework. The proposed factors improve the regional representativeness and interpretability of life cycle assessment results for rare earth products and provide robust quantitative support for resource allocation, recycling prioritization, and sustainable management of China’s rare earth industry.</p>

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Development and application of regionalized characterization factors for resource depletion of individual rare earth elements: a China-specific study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月3日

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  • Ying Wang,
  • Wenjuan Chen,
  • Feng Gao,
  • Boxue Sun,
  • Zuoren Nie

摘要

Purpose

China dominates the global rare earth supply chain. However, current assessments of rare earth resource depletion generally rely on globally averaged characterization factors and often use production statistics as a proxy for annual extraction, which may not adequately reflect actual lithospheric extraction and the regional characteristics of China’s rare earth resource system. This study aims to develop China-specific characterization factors for individual rare earth elements (REEs) to improve the regional representativeness of depletion assessment for REE-intensive products for a short-term time perspective.

Methods

In this study, the key parameters of two established depletion-assessment models, abiotic depletion potential (ADP) and surplus ore potential (SOP), were localized and modified. Core regional parameters representing the present economic and technical situation in China, including rare earth reserves, ore grades, elemental distributions, and mining and smelting recovery rates, were incorporated to establish the regionalized characterization models ADP-CN and SOP-CN for the short-term time perspective. Based on China’s economic and proven reserve data, characterization factors were calculated for 15 individual REEs. The applicability of the developed factors was evaluated through a case study of sintered neodymium–iron–boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets.

Results and discussion

The results showed that characterization factors based on economic reserves were generally higher than those based on proven reserves, and that medium and heavy REEs exhibited substantially higher depletion factors than light REEs. Under the ADP-CN framework, lutetium (Lu) showed the highest characterization factor, approximately 1,340 times that of cerium (Ce). Under the SOP-CN framework, thulium (Tm) had a characterization factor about 300 times higher than Ce, indicating substantially greater depletion pressure and future extraction burden for medium and heavy REEs. In the NdFeB magnet case study, ADP-CN results based on China-specific factors were about three orders of magnitude higher than those based on global-scale factors, while SOP-CN results were around two times higher. These findings show that globally uniform factors may substantially underestimate the depletion impacts of REE-intensive products in the Chinese context.

Conclusion

This study developed China-specific characterization factors for the depletion assessment of individual REEs within the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework. The proposed factors improve the regional representativeness and interpretability of life cycle assessment results for rare earth products and provide robust quantitative support for resource allocation, recycling prioritization, and sustainable management of China’s rare earth industry.