Revista Latinoamericana de Difusión Científica
Published January 29, 2026 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Las tierras raras y su valor en la basura electrónica

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas

Description

Este trabajo recopila y analiza los últimos reportes sobre los elementos de tierras raras, reflexionando sobre su importancia estratégica, aplicaciones tecnológicas, criticidad y riesgos asociados a su suministro. El trabajo consistió en una revisión bibliográfica de literatura científica, informes técnicos y reportes de organismos internacionales, considerando aspectos importantes como, abundancia, las limitaciones para su explotación, la distribución geopolítica de la producción y el creciente interés por fuentes secundarias. Los resultados evidencian que, los elementos de tierras raras no son escasos, presentan una elevada criticidad debido al limitado número de productores, y a la concentración de la producción por China, que concentra más del 80 % del mercado global. Su relevancia se manifiesta en aplicaciones indispensables para la industria tecnológica, en especial en dispositivos electrónicos, lo que ha convertido su disponibilidad en un indicador de poder económico y geopolítico. Finalmente, la revisión destaca el desarrollo de estrategias alternativas como la minería urbana, entendida como la recuperación de estos metales a partir de residuos eléctricos y electrónicos, propuesta que surge como vía complementaria para mitigar los riesgos de suministro.

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Dates

Accepted
2026-01-28

Software

Repository URL
https://difusioncientifica.info/index.php/difusioncientifica/article/view/230
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