Chemistry term for elements with low abundance in the Earth's crust, such as rare earth elements or other scarce elements.
Rare elements are essential for high-tech products.
レアメタル (rare metal) is a more common term in everyday and industrial contexts, while 希元素 is a formal chemistry term.
Standard kanji spelling using 希 (rare).
Variant using 稀 (rare), less common than 希元素.
Compound of 希 (rare) + 元素 (element). The spelling 稀元素 uses the older form of the character for 'rare'.