Critical Materials Shortages: Opportunity for Competitive Innovation

November 29, 2011, 12:00 -1:30 PM
SVC 209-08, Capitol Visitors Center

Contact Science & the Congress Briefing Series

Summary

Graph from USGS
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2002/fs087‐02/

Critical materials are variously defined as natural resources that have both threatened supply availability and are a necessity for technology that is experiencing growing demand. “Rare earths”, or lanthanide elements on the periodic table (e.g. cerium, neodymium, europium, etc.), and other elements such as cobalt, indium, and tellurium have recently been identified as critical due to limited ore sources coupled to their necessity in advanced technologies such as magnets for defense applications, superalloys for high speed jet engine turbines, and photonic materials such as low-energy lighting phosphors and photovoltaics for energy production. To solve the current rare earths problems and prepare for future critical material issues, research into securing the supply chain, technological alternatives, and possibilities of recycling in-use material stocks is vital for the nation’s security, electronics-dependent sectors like medical instrumentation and information technology, and clean energy systems.

Honorary Host

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)

Opening Remarks

Welcome Glenn Ruskin Director of the Office of Public Affairs American Chemical Society	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/glen_ruskin.flv
Credit: Sen. Udall’s office Senator Mark Udall(D-CO)	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/mark_udall.flv

Speakers

	Susan Morrissey Moderator Assistant Managing Editor Chemical & Engineering News Presentation Slides Bio │ Email	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/susan_morrissey.flv
	Robert Jaffe Jane and Otto Morningstar Professor of Physics Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Presentation Slides Bio │ Email	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/r_l_jaffe.flv
	David Shuh Director, Principal Scientist, and Senior Scientist Glenn T. Seaborg Center, Lawrence Berkeleye National Laboratory (LBNL), Department of Energy Presentation Slides Bio │ Email	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/david_shuh.flv
	Steven Duclos Chief Scientist General Electric Global Research Center Presentation Slides Bio │ Email	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/steven_duclos.flv
	Karl Gschneidner Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Iowa State University Senior Metallurgist Ames Laboratory, Department of Energy Presentation Slides Bio │ Email	http://web.2.c2.audiovideoweb.com/va92web25028/congressional_briefings/11-29-11/karl_gschneider_jr.flv

The views expressed by Science & the Congress briefing panelists are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the American Chemical Society or the congressional Honorary Co-Host.

Related Content

American Physical Society / Materials Research Society

• Securing Materials for Emerging Technologies: http://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=236337.

National Academies

• Critical Minerals and Emerging Technologies, by Roderick G. Eggert. Issues (online, a publication of the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineers, the Institute of Medicine, and the University of Texas at Dallas) 2010 Summer; http://www.issues.org/26.4/eggert.html.
• The Role of Chemical Sciences in Finding Alternatives to Critical Resources Workshop, online presentations by various authors. Board on Chemical Sciences & Technology 2011; http://dels.nas.edu/global/bcst/critical-resources-workshop.

Chemical & Engineering News

• Critical Materials Problem Continues, by David J. Hanson (Oct 2011): http://cen.acs.org/articles/89/i43/Critical-Materials-Problem-Continues.html.
• Concern Grows Over Rare-Earths Supply, by David J. Hanson (May 2011): http://cen.acs.org/articles/89/i20/Concern-Grows-Over-Rare-Earths.html.
• Securing the Supply of Rare Earths, by Mitch Jacoby and Jessie Jiang (Aug 2010): http://cen.acs.org/articles/88/i35/Securing-Supply-Rare-Earths.html.

Free Access Online Publications

• Replacing the Rare Earth Intellectual Capital, by K.A. Gschneidner. Magnetics Business & Technology 2011, 10 (1), 6-8; http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/images/Magazine/2011/MagSpring11_web.pdf.
• The Rare Earth Crisis – The Supply/Demand Situation for 2010-2015, by K.A. Gschneidner. Materials Matters 2011, 6 (2), 32-37; http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/etc/medialib/docs/Aldrich/Bulletin/1/material_matters_v6n2.Par.0001.File.tmp/material_matters_v6n2.pdf.

Congressional Research Service

• Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain, 2011 Sep 6; http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41347.pdf.
• Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress, 2011 Jun 8; http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41744.pdf.

Department of Energy

• Critical Materials Strategy, 2010 Dec; http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/edg/news/documents/criticalmaterialsstrategy.pdf.

United States Geological Survey

• Rare Earths: Statistics and Information, last updated 2011; http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/rare_earths/.

Peer-Reviewed Publications (requires subscription or single use payment for full article)

• Criticality of Non-Fuel Minerals: A Review of Major Approaches and Analyses, by L. Erdmann and T.E. Graedel. Environmental Science & Technology 2011, 45 (18), 7620-7630; DOI 10.1021/es200563g.
• Biological Applications of Rare-Earth Based Nanoparticles, by C. Bouzigues; T. Gacoin, A. Alexandrou. ACS Nano 2011, 5 (11), 8488-8505; DOI 10.1021/nn202378b.
• Materials Availability Expands the Opportunity for Large-Scale Photovoltaics Deployment, by C. Wadia, A.P. Alivisatos, D.M. Kammen. Environmental Science & Technology 2009, 43(6), 2072-2077; DOI 10.1021/es8019534.