ISSN 2056-6735 (Online)

Minor Metals—Ready for the Circular Economy
In Conversation with Derek Raphael, Derek Raphael & Co.

The magazine of the Minor Metals Trade Association

5th Edition 2016/May www.mmta.co.uk

1

We focus on quality
Established over 21 years with an unrivalled reputation for
supplying pure metals and high temperature super alloys
into the aerospace, oil, medical and associated industries

Accredited ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001

We buy & sellSpecialists in the supply of


Mo



Ta



W



Hf



Nb



All Nickel / Cobalt
based alloys

Full revert management/processing
Shot blastSize reduction/plasmaBar cutting

Turnings degreased

Suppliers of High Temp
Raw Materials & Pure Metals
Call us on 01909 569930
Email us at info@advancedalloys.co.uk
Website www.advancedalloys.co.uk
2Counterparty Insolvency&
Warehouse Fraud
Finishing with a ‘bonus’ Q & A on Brexit and Commodities

MMTA & Holman Fenwick Willan
Breakfast Seminar
26th May—8:30-10:30am, London
We are very pleased to announce that new MMTA Member, Holman Fenwick
Willan is holding a breakfast seminar in partnership with the MMTA
at its London office.

This event is free to attend
Draft programme:
Registration & Breakfast
Session 1: Counterparty Insolvency - a case study on:Recent law on retention of title clauses in open account markets;

Risks and focus areas when buying and claiming under credit insurance policies

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Conference Review 2016

4-6

Letter from North America

7

Minor Metals in the Circular
Economy8-9

Tea with the MMTA—Derek
Raphael

10-12Liquidmetal (and Terminators)

13-14

Swordmaking

16-17

In Brief

18-19

The MMTA promotes
essential elements that add
quality, safety andenjoyment to our lives.
The MMTA is the world's
leading minor metals industry
organisation.

Session 2: Warehouse Fraud - a case study on:Warehouse due diligence best practice;Insurance and financing claims if you are subject to a warehouse fraud

Q & A: Brexit and Commodities
Networking
To register for this event please contact admin@mmta.co.uk

Contact Us:
Address: MMTA, Suite 53, 3 Whitehall Court,
London, SW1A 2EL, UK
Tel: +44 (0)207 833 0237
Email: executive@mmta.co.uk

Kindly sponsored and hosted byDisclaimer: The information and data contained in thisAnnouncement from John Price,
Trident Traders Ltd, and former
MMTA Chairman
John has closed down Trident Traders Ltd as
he has decided to retire.
He joined Leigh and Sillavan in 1974 in
Macclesfield and then with Martin Tolson
formed Trident Traders back in 1982.
The company operated for 15 years in
Macclesfield and then since 1997 in Bath.
John says: “it has been a wonderful roller

coaster ride and I feel privileged to have met
and concluded business with so many people
around the world. I thank them all andparticularly those with whom I have become
close personal friends.
My close association with The MMTA remains
a very special memory and I am so delighted
to see its growth and international success.
Yours most warmly
John Price”
On behalf of the MMTA, we would all like towish John a long and happy retirement.

edition of the Crucible (the Material) has been compiled by the
Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) from sources believed
to be reliable at the time of writing but the MMTA makes norepresentation or warranty (express or implied) as to theaccuracy, timeliness or completeness of the Material. The
Material is provided for information purposes only, but is not tobe relied upon as authoritative or taken in substitution for the
exercise of the reader’s own skill and judgment. It should not be
relied upon for any specific or general application without firstobtaining competent advice. The MMTA, its members, staff andconsultants accept no liability whatsoever (however that liability
arises) for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising fromany use of the Material.
The Crucible contains links to third party websites and material
and information created and maintained by organisations otherthan the MMTA. These links are provided solely for yourconvenience. The MMTA does not guarantee the accuracy,
relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any third party
information or material accessed by means of a link within the
Crucible. The inclusion of a link is not intended to reflect theimportance of the third party materials accessed through it, nor
is it intended to endorse any views expressed, accuracy ofmaterial, products or services offered or other information
made available via the link.

3

News from the MMTA’s International Minor
Metals Conference
The Wider Picture
James Peer, MMTA Chairman, opened the MMTA’s recent
International Minor Metals Conference in Amsterdam by thanking
the event’s sponsors: Platinum Sponsor, C Steinweg Group, andSilver Sponsors: Exotech, EAG, Argus Media and the REACH Orphan
Substances Consortium. He thanked them all for their support
which allows the MMTA to maintain the incredibly high standardsof the conference.
James was very pleased to report that this year’s conference has
the best attendance in the MMTA’s history, with 30% more Member
companies attending than last year and an increase of 30% in
delegates from Asia, which combined with the very strong presencefrom North America, reflects the truly global reach of the MMTA.
He went on to say that we all know the past year has been one of
exceptional turbulence and uncertainty in all commodity markets,and that the world of minor metals has not been unscathed. Whilst
it seems that many metals have found their low points, there arestill plenty of headwinds that make a rebound in demand risky tobank on.
Some of the key unanswered questions James outlined are:1.

When and if the huge fall in energy prices will translate into
increased growth and demand in consumer based economies;

2.

When non-oil and gas and mining sector business investment
levels will return to their pre financial crisis levels;

3.

What the nature and trajectory of growth in China over the
coming 5 years will be.

On top of this, James referred to a number of political uncertainties
that potentially threaten to restrict the trade flows and patterns that
Members of our association thrive on.

The MMTA Chairman closed
by saying that the news
from China is not all gloomy;
the MMTA’s friends from the
China Non-Ferrous Metals
Association have advisedthat in 2015 the top 10
non-ferrous metals
production of 50 million
tonnes was still outstripped by demand of 52 million tonnes. It is amessage that we all need to remember – whilst growth in metal
consumption may not be what it was in China over the past 10 years,
consumption levels are such that China is still the key engine formetal demand worldwide.

Within the MMTA
As far as Association developments are concerned, Volker Mertens,
MMTA Treasurer, stressed the importance to the Board, as fellow
MMTA Members, of supporting the industry during this difficult
period by absorbing the projected deficit in 2016 and drawing on thereserves of the Association. He confirmed, however, that we will
reluctantly have to raise fees for 2017, but by the smallest amountpossible. In doing so, he drew Members’ attention to the changes
that have occurred within the Association over the past 6 years since
the last time MMTA membership fees were increased.
Chris Edler, Conference Committee Chair, outlined the work of theBoard in identifying ways to maximise the benefit of MMTA
membership, and announced that from next year there will be asignificantly increased discount for MMTA Members when booking
for the conference, in the hope that even more Members will attend
the Association’s conference, and also to encourage non-member
companies to join us as Members of the MMTA.

Donald Lambert, Mediation & Arbitration Committee Chair, gave a
The consequences of the UK leaving the EU, which throughcopycat behaviour by other members of the EU could potentially short overview of the proposed addition of a short form Arbitration
process for smaller disputes. The committee has consulted widely
see the unravelling of the European single market;
on this, and the draft proposal is included in the Annual Review for
2. A more protectionist USA, with every candidate in the US
2016. Donald encouraged Members to let him know whether the
Presidential election committed to halting any EU – USA free
proposed rules and limits will meet the needs of the industry, priortrade agreement, and serious doubts over whether the Pan
to us moving forward with them.
Asian – USA trade agreement will be ratified.
Finally, Maria Cox, MMTA General Manager, outlined a mixed picture
However, against all this uncertainty, he pointed to tremendous
for MMTA membership. Despite a decrease in renewals at the end ofopportunities for many of the elements that we are all involved in;2015, reasons given reflect the difficult environment, with someminor metals are at the heart of technologies that will define the way businesses being wound up or sold, and others refocussing
we live over the coming generations, such as electric and self-drive
themselves away from minor metals, whether in the short or longer
cars, the continued growth of the aviation sector, advances interm. However, the membership rate is still 90%, and on an
renewable energy sources, where technology is moving so rapidly
extremely positive note, we had 11 new Members in 2015, with 4
that, in fields such as solar power, they are becoming competitive
confirmed new Members in the first quarter of 2016, and another 3
with fossil fuels without the need for subsidy. And of course, there
currently being processed. We held productive meetings withis our unwavering demand for electronic devices, all of which require prospective new members during the conference, and therefore
increasing volumes of minor metals.
hope to see more joining the Association as the year progresses.
41.

Conference Topics
Last month, the MMTA and Metal Events welcomed a record
number of attendees to the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in vibrant
Amsterdam for the MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference.
An exceptional line-up of speakers was warmly welcomed bydelegates interested in hearing specialist insight into the fascinating
metals that they work with every day.

Keynote speaker, the chemist and author John Emsley, opened theevent with the intriguingly titled presentation ‘Elements of surprise:
Metals Murder Think Again (MMTA)’. Not one to disappoint, John
began by looking at nefarious means to commit murders using
minor metals. He also examined the boom in minor metals
applications in recent years, concluding that we have truly enteredthe ‘minor metal age’.
Dan Hewak from the University of Southampton followed with‘Current and emerging applications of minor metals in
optoelectronic devices’. Chalcogenide Glass devices are used in a
myriad of applications from night vision systems in cars to security
sensors. They have typical compositions based on: Ga, Ge, Zn, Te,
Se, S, Sb and As. Dan talked about his department’s challenge of
decreasing the thickness of optical fibres, as well as thedevelopment of ‘chaff’, the substance used to confuse radars
searching for military aircraft. Minor metals have, for several
decades, played a crucial role in optoelectronic devices, andcontinue to do so. There are also opportunities going into the future
to replace some noble metals with minors, as devices move fromthe research lab to commercial products.

However, apart from investing in lithium mining projects, it seemed
difficult for new suppliers to enter the Tesla supply chain.
Jim Hickey, Procurement Manager from Magnesium Elektron
continued the morning with a fascinating look at the use ofmagnesium through automotive and aerospace history. Medical
applications, too, are an area where magnesium comes into its own,with dissolvable temporary implants now complementing the useof more permanent replacement parts. This is due to magnesium’s
unique properties and interactions in the body.
‘Hafnium supply: Past, present
and future’ by Alister
MacDonald, of new MMTA
Member company Alkane
Resources, also took a look at
zirconium supply. Both metals,
as well as a multitude ofothers, can be found in
Alkane’s new Australian mining
project, the Dubbo Zirconia
Project around 400km northof Sydney. Alister went on to
examine the supply anddemand for these materials
and touched on niobium and rare earth applications as well.
Rounding off the morning’s session was Sybrand van der Zwaag,
Professor at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technical
University, Delft in the Netherlands. Sybrand presented an
extremely engaging overview of self-healing metallo-ceramics
and the minor metals used in them. With the help of some fantastic
imagery, which really brought the subject to life, he illustrated
thermal and erosion damage caused by sand and volcanic ash inaircraft engines. Self-healing MAX phases (the point when amaterial becomes a tough metallo-ceramic) based on TiAlC and
CrAlC look to be very promising for engine applications, but morework needs to be done on other minor metal based MAX Phases fornext generation jet engines.

In a slight change to the format, the afternoon session focused on
supply chain management and REACH implementation. A panel ofexperts presented short introductions to their particular supply
chain issues, followed by an interactive Q&A from the audience.
Steffen Schmidt from the Tungsten Industry-Conflict Mineral
Council began with a look at conflict-free tungsten from mine toconsumer. This was followed by ‘Cobalt Supply Chain Issues’ by
David Weight from the Cobalt Development Institute, who exThe first session of the day looked at future movers and shakers in plained in detail how the CDI and its Members were taking action on
the minor metals world. Starting with the extremely topical issue of ethical supply and transparency in the cobalt industry. Joining thelithium’s use in automotive batteries, Dr Reiner Haus from Dorfner panel was Candida Owens of Cronimet Central Africa, who has
Anzaplan in Germany talked about the recent announcement ofmany years’ experience in conflict-free tantalum supply.
the Tesla Model 3. This new model is already breaking records inWrapping up the afternoon session was Karine van de Velde of thethe auto industry, with 232,000 reservations within 48 hours of
REACH Orphan Substances Consortium based in Belgium. Karine
launching. To fulfil future battery demand, Tesla is well under way
warned the audience about the 2018 REACH deadline urging themwith constructing the world’s largest lithium ion battery plant.
5

to get started on the registration
process for any substances as yet
unregistered as soon as possible.
Day two started with a rousingpresentation by Markus Moll,a veteran speaker at the conference.
Markus looked at alloy steelmarkets and their outlook, covering
alloy engineering steels, stainlesssteels, tool steels and nickel alloys,
as well as the implications for theminor metals chrome andmolybdenum as a result of thesemarket developments.
‘Tantalum and Niobium myths’
followed with David Henderson of
Drinks reception on board the Het van Wappen, hosted by C Steinweg Group
Rittenhouse International
Resources. He started with the mythof niobium being a rare metal, as well as other incorrect assumptions about the future markets of niobium and tantalum. David concluded
with a look at how to properly evaluate mining projects and the ever important distinction between resources and reserves.
The final session of the conference was the diagnosis for minor metals post Fanya. Previous attendees of the MMTA’s conferences willremember the long discussions on the subject of the Fanya Metal Exchange and its effect on supplies and prices of various minor metals.
The Fanya Exchange traded antimony, germanium, gallium, wolfram, indium, silicon, cobalt and bismuth and amassed huge stockpilesof the minor metals. For example, Fanya's indium stockpiles at last count was put at 3,600 tonnes, which compares with annual gl obal
consumption in mobile phones, televisions and solar cells of less than half that.
Funsho Ojobuoboh, Consultant at Vital Materials began this session with a look at selenium in infra-red (IR) technology. IR is used inapplications such as lasers and windows with minor metals such as germanium (Ge), silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), magnesium
fluoride (MgF2), as well as some aluminium alloys. Zinc selenide is one of two major IR materials by the Chemical Vapour Deposition
process (the other is ZnS). This is because of its superior IR optical quality making it an excellent IR laser window (due to its low absorption
coefficient), but unfortunately it is a soft material and not durable in erosion environment.
Koen t’Hoen from M&R Claushuis spoke about lead and tin residues containing minor metals and the issues surrounding their recovery. He
focused in particular on mercury containing residues, including its uses and disposal and the legislative issues surrounding mercury’s use.
Wrapping up the conference, Brian O’Neill, from US-based AIM Minor Metals, looked at the indium market since the collapse of the Fanya
Exchange, being one of the metals with the largest reported stocks. Brian set the scene with an analysis of supply and consumption, as wellas the accuracy of Fanya’s figures in the context of current market conditions. Brian concluded that now that Fanya has ceased trading,‘normal’ supply dynamics have been restored, but future demand increase for indium will be modest.
We would like to thank all the speakers, sponsors and delegates for making the conference such a success. Until next year!

Eglentine Metal
This advertising board was spotted at Blists Hill Victorian Museumin Shropshire.
Internet research has not shone light on the composition of thismetal, so the MMTA is challenging Members to tell us.
What we know so far…
Eglentine filed an American Federal Registration for the Eglentine
trade mark in 1905, being used for manufacturing stirrups, bits andother metal parts of a horse’s harness.
Some sources suggest it may simply be aluminium—is anyone able
to confirm or deny this?
6Letter from North America
Dear Members
So, finally, Cruz has thrown in the towel. Kasich too. Donald Trump is now the sole candidate in the race for the Republican nomination.
Or is it even a race anymore? Perhaps it still is, otherwise why would Cruz have done what he did? But a race with whom? These arequestions some are now asking.
Will the Republicans (the Grand Old Party - GOP) do what they did to Barry Goldwater in 1964? Probably not. But who knows what they
are planning. I, certainly, remain flummoxed by politics here. And I’ve now voted in a number of elections. Probably best to turn to the
BBC to find out what’s really going on. Many of my American friends do!

Where do Trump and Clinton stand on trade agreements?
All that said, of passing interest to members may be how Trump and Clinton stand on trade agreements. Back in November last year,
Trump said of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): “The TPP is a horrible deal… It's a deal that was designed for China to come in, as they

always do, through the back door, and totally take advantage of everyone. "Clinton, too, appears to be against the deal. In October last year, she was quoted as saying: “ As of today, I am not in favor of what I havelearned about it.” However, at this juncture, I am not sure whether either has come out with a view on the Transatlantic Trade andInvestment Partnership with the EU. But, going by Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and Clinton’s need to keep the unions on side, I’m not sureeither of them has all that much reason to look favorably upon it. We’ll just have to wait and see – unless the deal is consummated before
everything is concluded in November.
As readers of my letters will know, I like to keep an eye out for interesting scientific advances using minor metals. Here are two I foundparticularly interesting. Unfortunately, because of their nature, they’ll probably not lead to a massive increase in demand for the metals
involved.

Two-dimensional semi-conductors in electronic and optoelectronic devices
The first was news from the U.S. Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that it had “ uncovered a way
to overcome a principal obstacle in using two-dimensional (2D) semi-conductors in electronic and optoelectronic devices .”Seen, as the NREL notes, as promising candidates for next generation devices, 2D semi-conductors, which are only a few atomic layers
thick, are made of such metallic compounds as molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2), molybdenum di-selenide (MoSe2), molybdenum
di-telluride (MoTe2), tungsten di-sulfide (WS2) and tungsten di-selenide (WSe2). The obstacle (the Schottky barrier between thesemi-conductor and metal contact) is actually removed by using a 2D metal, for example, niobium di-sulfide (NbS2) as the electrode.

Liquid metal particles for heat-free soldering and other applications
The second was contained in news from Iowa State University that scientists there had “ developed liquid metal particles that can be used
for heat-free soldering and other applications.” In this case, the particles are only about the size of red blood cells, i.e. some 10
micrometers in diameter. The scientists proved their concept using “liquid-metal particles containing Field’s metal (an alloy of bismuth,
indium and tin) and particles containing an alloy of bismuth and tin.”If, indeed, these particles do actually have “significant implications for manufacturing”, then it’ll be interesting to see whether, down theline, demand for the aforementioned metals is affected positively in any way.
As last month, on that last scientific note, I remain, from a very wet and chilly New York, with best wishes to MMTA members everywhere.
Yours
Tom Butcher, May 4th, 2016 ©2016 Tom Butcher
PS I’m only sad I missed the conference this year. I heard it was great! tb
7Minor Metals:
Ready for the Circular Economy
The world’s population is growing quickly; people are moving tourban centres, and raw material demand is expected to increase
three-fold by 2050.
Government and business need to face these challenges head on
to ensure a plentiful supply of resources for all; therefore
optimisation is crucial.
Metals will be central to any strategy to make a sustainable future.
Minor metals are used in renewable energy technologies, electricvehicles and other sustainable technologies - please visit
www.mmta.co.uk/newsletter/sustainable-minor-metals
to learn more.

The circular economy aims to eradicate waste—not just frommanufacturing processes, as lean management aspires to do,but systematically, throughout the life cycles and uses of
products and their components. Indeed, tight component andproduct cycles of use and re-use, aided by product design, help
define the concept of a circular economy and distinguish it fromthe linear take–make–dispose economy, which wastes large
amounts of embedded materials, energy, and labour.
(McKinsey & Company)
Exploration and material extraction costs are rising. This, coupledwith growing tensions around geopolitics and supply risk, arecontributing to volatile commodity prices. A circular economy could
help stabilise some of these issues by decoupling economic growthfrom resource consumption.

These metals are often described by governments as ‘strategic’ or‘critical’ because of their exceptional characteristics and economic
importance; minor metals are part of the innovative solutions which
will ensure a sustainable future. In addition, steel, nickel, aluminium Why are we talking about this now?
and other base metals also rely on minor metals as alloying elements
The European Commission says that the circular economy offers an
to give them their mechanical properties, deformability, corrosion
opportunity to reinvent the economy, making it more sustainable andresistance and other essential performance characteristics.
competitive, bringing benefits for businesses, industries, and citizens
alike. This new plan would, they believe, make Europe’s economy
One solution to the world’s raw material challenges is to develop acleaner and more competitive, and the Commission is delivering
circular economy. The circular economy is a practical method toambitious measures to cut resource use, reduce waste and boost
manage the planet's expanding resource demands.
recycling. The Commission has recently adopted (December 2015)
So what is the Circular Economy?
an ambitious Circular Economy Package, which includes revised
legislative proposals on waste to stimulate Europe's transition
A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear
towards this circular economy.
economy ('take-make-dispose') in which we keep resources in

use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value fromthem whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products andmaterials at the end of each service life. (WRAP UK)

The Circular Economy Package consists of an EU Action Plan for the
Circular Economy establishing a concrete and ambitious programme,with measures covering the whole cycle: from production andconsumption to waste management and the market for secondary
raw materials.
The proposed actions will contribute to ‘closing the loop’ of productlifecycles through greater recycling and re-use, and bring benefits forboth the environment and the economy. Within this there will mostdefinitely be business opportunities for those able to demonstratethat their activities support the overall aims of the circular economy.
The most concrete proposal in the revised legislation is on
waste. Clear targets have been set for the reduction of waste andto establish an ambitious and credible long-term path for waste
management and recycling. Key elements of the revised waste
proposal include:8A common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste
by 2030;

A common EU target for recycling 75% of packaging waste
by 2030;

A binding landfill target to reduce landfill to maximum of 10%
of all waste by 2030;



A ban on landfilling of separately collected waste;Promotion of economic instruments to discourage
landfilling ;Simplified and improved definitions and harmonised
calculation methods for recycling rates throughout the EU;Concrete measures to promote re-use and stimulate
industrial symbiosis - turning one industry's by-productinto another industry's raw material;

Economic incentives for producers to put greener productson the market and support recovery and recycling schemes(e.g. for packaging, batteries, electric and electronicequipment, vehicles).

What about the Circular Economy beyond
Europe?
China has set up CACE, a government-backed association to
encourage circular growth, and an increasing number of initiatives
are being developed in the US, where the clear business case forthe circular economy is having an impact.
Civil society has been the real driver for the circular economy until
recently. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the leading organisation
behind the circular economy movement, counts companies such as
Philips, Renault and Unilever as their Global Partners, pushing theirbusinesses and supply chains towards the circular economic model.
With such downstream companies championing the transition to acircular economic model, those within their supply chains will
increasingly need to demonstrate they are complying.

How do minor metals fit in to the Circular
Economy?
Minor metals are ideally suited to this shift in economic model.
Many minor metals have recycling loops of high economic value.
Examples where MMTA Members are leaders in their field include:Rhenium and precious metal recovery from spent catalysts



Tantalum recovery from used capacitorsIndium metal recovery from ITO and sputtering
production wasteTungsten recovery from cemented carbide scrap



Recovery of molybdenum, tungsten and niobium fromused sputtering targets

Recycling of cobalt and titanium based superalloys

It should be noted that metals are infinitely recyclable and can beused again and again, whilst urban mines contain many high value
metals, unlocking a new ‘reserve.’
The aim of circular economy plans, in particular for metals, is toimplement conditions across the metals value chain to securecost-efficient access to secondary raw materials by region.
Recycling would be prioritised, with the emphasis on recovery ofvaluable metals from recyclable waste and end-of-life products.
The anticipated benefit of this would be job creation and economic
growth resulting from support given to the recycling anddownstream industries by government. In addition, recycling
materials lowers environmental impacts and the energy intensityof materials’ supply.
High volume metals, including aluminium, copper, nickel, zinc andlead, already have high recycling rates, but great potential remains
for increased recycling of other metals, including minor metals andother critical raw materials. However, the industry still faces
challenges at all stages of the metals value chain, from leakage of
waste, to the continued lack of implementation of measures toreduce landfilling in some regions.

The problem with data…
Minor metals are often used as alloying elements
in steel, nickel, aluminium and others and they areoften poorly reflected in the recycling rate figuresof these metals.
It is common for base metal recyclers not to include
the percentage of any alloys in the metals they
process This means that reported recycling rates
for minor metals can be much lower than what isrecycled in reality.

So isn’t the circular economy just anotherway to describe recycling?
The circular economy is much more than recycling. A linear
economy makes, uses and then disposes of materials. The circular
economy looks at all the options across the chain to use as few
resources as possible in the first place, keep resources in circulation
for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from themwhile in use, then recover and regenerate products at the end ofservice life.
This means designing products for longevity with repairability inmind, so that materials can be easily dismantled and recycled, notto mention the alternative business models that encompass
trade-ins, sharing models and service packages.

What about primary production-won’t weneed mining anymore?
Even if 100% of metals used in the past were to be recycled, thiswould not meet the material requirements of today. This is due toincreased population and demand for consumer goods. Also, due
to the expected lifespan of metals in some applications, such as
construction, aerospace and automotive, the metals used herecannot be expected to be recycled for at least 30+ years. There willcontinue to be a demand for primary production.

MMTA Sustainability Working Group9

Tea with the MM

A

Anthony Lipmann in conversation with
Derek Raphael of Derek Raphael & Co.
For this inaugural ‘Tea with the MMTA’ interview, I am in a state ofsome anxiety in case my guest, Derek Raphael, might not be a tea
drinker. Fortunately, I am not to be disappointed. To my offer ofChinese Green, Jasmine or Ginger & Apple, it is “Builders’ tea,no sugar”.
The location for our chat is our office in Hampton Court to which
Derek has driven from his home in St John’s Wood on a slightly
drizzly morning before this 77 year-old heads out for the golfcourse at nearby Coombe Hill.
As one of the stand-out personalities of our trade, Derek has seen
more of the ups and downs of metal trading than most, and hence
my choice for first interviewee in what I hope will be a series
focusing on the people (rather than the technicalities) that lie
behind the market. As a keen sportsman - cricketer, golfer,
marathon runner (the last one at 65) – I am conscious that I am
competing for his time against possibly more exciting activities, so I
had better make this good.

captured at the defeat of Tobruk, spending three years as a prisonerof war in Italy and Germany. As Derek explains, as a result of being aprisoner of war, in later years ‘he always kept a biscuit in his pocket.’
Whether it is a Jewish attribute or not, it was the ability to embracechange that perhaps lay behind the decision which ultimately led
to the family moving to Lausanne in the 1960s. In 1948, expecting
a depression similar to the one that followed the First World War,
Maurice sold the business, but it was not until 1960 that the family
moved to Lausanne, with Derek, by now a Bachelor of Commercefrom University of Cape Town (UCT), following by hitch-hiking
to Europe.
It was a chance meeting via his parents that led to his first job with
Continental Ore Company in Lausanne. This was the group foundedby Henry J Leir that became one of the leading trade houses of theperiod – simply known as COC.

It might interest present owners of MMTA companies to note thatinterviews to work for the Leir empire were as far from present day
Derek, you could say, remains one of the most successful living
corporate practice as it is possible to be - at 21 years old in 1960,
metal people of the post-war generation. While today’s minor metal Derek was interviewed alongside his mother and father. I ask Derek
people might associate Derek Raphael & Co Ltd., with cobalt or
to explain. Essentially, it was the Jewish way – Leir regarded his
molybdenum (both metals in danger of growing out of their minor employee’s background as essential to the character of the person,
metal status), his background in metals started mainly with ores,
and by the same token he also took his responsibility as employer
minerals, ferro-alloys, coal and fertilizers. As we stir our teas to the seriously, as if acting in the place of a parent. I have personal
left, I venture to ask Derek first about his family background. After knowledge of this myself – for when sometime in about 1965 myall, how does one become a metal merchant when it is not exactly
father was also employed by Leir, my sister and I, eight and sevenon most university curricula?
years old respectively, were ushered into Mr Leir’s study overlooking
the snow-capped peaks around Crans Montana. My father was
Like many of those who peopled the metal trade of the 20th
asked how he would hedge physical copper cathodes on a wirebar
Century, a Jewish background went with the territory. The Raphaelcontract and I was offered a stamp for my stamp collection on
origins go back to Lithuania and schmutter. Derek’s grandfather,condition I told Leir what I would pay for it. This was the backcloth
Raphael Oblowitz, a tailor, born in 1880, left Lithuania for Leeds at
to one of the most successful international metals and minerals
the age of 20 and went on to South Africa where, by 1907, hetrading groups of the 20th Century.
became a naturalised British subject of the ‘Colony of The Cape ofGood Hope’. One of three brothers, they built a thriving
Interviewing, or being interviewed for reminiscences, is thirsty work,
department store, famous for Jewish women’s fashions, but then, and Derek gets up to make another tea. When I get to the kitchen,using his first name Raphael, he set up his own wholesale and dis- he has already boiled the water and is busy re-using the two bags
tribution company called Raphael Brothers. So it was that when this left over from before.
company was passed down to Derek’s father, the Raphael nameToday’s chat, if you like, is about the folklore of the metal trade.
was passed on too.
Derek was part of a generation whose metal heyday was 1963-1973;
Derek’s dad, Maurice, served in the South African Army but wasa period dominated by four major trading groups – Philipp Brothers,
10Associated Metals & Minerals (ASOMA), Hochschild and finally C0C.
Derek’s early career and my father’s middle years crossed at COC,
so I am interested to know how he thinks those companies
differed in the way they were run from the big commodity groupsof today.
The answer, when it comes - between sips of tea - is quite
surprising. ‘First’, Derek says, ‘communications in those days werenothing like today’. ‘Knowledge was not perfect.’ In fact’, he adds, ‘it
was totally imperfect!’ ‘The essence of COC was not big positions,
not stockholding, but essentially back-to-back business. With 32
offices worldwide this was its strength – those were thecommunications that enabled the business to channel and serveenquiries. It was all about agency business.’ In the case of COC,
they were agents for iron ore for the Brazilian CVRD, ferro-chromefor Rhodesian Alloys, pig
iron for Amcor (later
Samancor) supplying
Yawata Iron & Steel inJapan under a ten-year
contract, agents ofDuval for sulphur,ferro-alloys for Ugine ,and from their own
mines in Mexico
fluorspar into the USA.
The USA was thebiggest market and thefocus for theorganization.
At 21 years old, Derek
was sent by Leir to train
in the New York office
and assigned to Victor Tosoro in the coal department. Tosoro tells
him to write to all the coal companies he can think of to try and get
an agency to sell coal to steelworks in Italy. As Derek recounts it,
one morning the telephone rings and someone asks to speak tohim. No-one has ever phoned in and asked to speak to Derek
before. Someone in a thick American accent says ‘I am so & sofrom Peabody Coal & Coke’– until recently one of the largest
energy companies in USA – and so begins a long-term contractfrom USA to Italy.

and true of metal people, young and old - they rarely forget a deal.
Derek surprises himself more than me with his crystal clear
memory of names, prices, destinations – and perhaps, if pressed,
who knows, the telephone numbers too!
With his New York training under the belt, in 1962 Derek was sent toMinerais, COC’s subsidiary in Luxembourg, whose main activities
were refractories, petcoke and ferro-alloys. There he shared anapartment with another 21 year old, Roger Ehrman, who was incharge of ferro-alloys. Minerais were agents for the Czechoslovak
FeMo producer marketing to steelworks in Belgium.
Although I know, as most minor metal people do, that moly is themetal with which his name is most associated, I still want to know
how it became such a big theme.
Three things, it seems,
happened.
The first was thataround this time thethen Minerais boss, Dr
Francois Mayer,
disappeared into
Russia and returned
with a consignment of
5mt of FeMo, a source
which was new tothe market.
The second was that
Derek was sent to
London – a country
he had never lived in
but which has since
become his home for the last 55 years. Leir backed young people
and gave them responsibility, and Derek thinks that perhaps Leirbelieved his British South African accent would fit better into the UK
than the Mittel-European accents sported by most of his COC
colleagues. What Derek found upon arrival, though, was that theincumbents had been rather busier trying to sell the business thanthe metal in the business, and ferro-molybdenum was one of theitems they were meant to be selling.

To paint the scene for modern eyes, Derek recounts that in thosedays there were literally hundreds of foundries and electric furnace
At another time, Derek is sent to Washington to manage the letterssteelworks in the UK, all consuming FeMo. In the days beforeof tender for the acquisition of surplus naval vessels (Liberty ships)
molybdenum oxide was the additive of choice, the only productand later finds himself sent to inspect a stripped U.S. aircraft carrier
consumed to add moly to steel was ferro-molybdenum. However,towering high above the cityscape of Portland, Maine, a huge empty
at that time, the production scene was entirely unlike today with asteel shell to be towed to Japan for breaking up.
long list of UK home grown producers - Hi Speed Steels, Ferro
The stories are flowing thick and fast and, just in case my iPhone is Alloys Glossop, Minworth and Murex – and, in the days before EU
not recording, I am scribbling furiously to get the facts onto paper. It harmonization, all protected from foreign competition by a 33%
looks as if it is time for our third cup of tea, and I am conscious wetariff rate!
are still trapped in the 1960s and have a bit of a way to go. But I
The third thing that happened was that in 1964 the world’s main
have noticed a striking thing proved by this metal man opposite me
producer, Climax, in the USA went on strike, devastating the supply

11equipment purely on the basis of supplying the stockpiles. [It isperhaps one of the ironies of our era that the profit from stockpiles
Derek saw his opportunity. He had been in touch with a merchant inin the last 20 years has all been the other way – with merchants
Liverpool, H.J.Evans, who simply could not obtain any FeMo for the
regarding the stockpiles as nothing more than an urban mine to befoundries he served. With Climax on strike, Derek reverted toplundered as needed. It is a history that the Chinese unfortunately
Luxembourg to see if they could obtain FeMo from overseas and,have not yet learnt from, as the SRB announces purchases ofwith Dr Mayer’s opening, the way was clear for Russian metal to
everything from copper to indium.]make its way to Europe.
By the 1970s, COC had been sold and Derek took the big step ofThe shortage of Mo units was so great that, even at 33% duty, thegoing on his own; and I am old enough to recall his astonishingbusiness was obtained at 29 shillings and nine pence per lb Mo while
offices within one of the Nash buildings at Cornwall Terrace thatthe official market price was 13 shillings. It was not long before
made a statement of where Derek Raphael and Co. was
Derek was visiting all the steel plants in the UK and his lifelong
heading. This was a mixed era, at first highly successful. 1974 was a
involvement with the molybdenum market had begun.
great year. Suddenly DRC was beginning to look a little bit like COC –What strikes me as I am speaking to Derek is, in some ways, how
there were offices all over the world—there were five offices in USA
little has changed; that there is still room for chutzpah, luck, beingalone, bulk ferro-alloys to move around, finance available, notably inin the right place at the right time (when someone gets fired or
DRC’s case from the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group whomoves on) and, above, all being open to new ideas.
wanted to be in the commodity finance field. But by the 1980s
success had bred hubris and this was to come in the form of coal.
Communications, it is true, have improved no end today – there isno need for a metal merchant to have 32 offices telexing overnight As Derek says, “If a banker says, ‘I will not finance this’ you should
to each other – but there is the same need to field an enquiry in an think twice.” The Monongahela dockyard, in the area of Pittsburgh,ever changing world of supply and demand. There is also the same was to become his temporary nemesis. ‘We don’t finance stockpilesof coal’, the bank had said, but DRC went along and did it. Whatrequirement for merchants to trade something about which they
happened was that the coal price fell and the longer the coal
may know little, but follow it through into a business. It was moly
remained stored in the open, the more it degenerated, ground down
then; today it might be tantalum ethoxide, niobium-titanium alloy
by traffic, wind, rain and the elements. In simple terms it was aor rhenium heptoxide (but please don’t get too excited, these aredisaster, but such disasters maketh the metal merchant. His empire
only examples).
retracted and DRC secured the ability to take over the U.S. debts in
Looking back, the 1960’s & 1970s had a geopolitics that has now
the UK and pay them back out of future profit – he was able to fightchanged. Then, it was the era of Checkpoint Charlie trade, theanother day.
need for trading companies to bridge the gap between regimes
The latter period is one of re-growth. Companies, DRC learnt, did
who could not deal with each other. This might mean navigating
not have to have an office in every capital to appear well-dressed,
between countries who could not pay each other outside bilateralit
was about the ideas, the conversions, the relationships andtrade limits. If the balance of payments between certain nations
understanding a sector of the market. Derek Raphael has been a
was not in favour of the purchaser then a country could not buy
direct. In one example, Derek relates, India required Polish sulphur serially profitable metal merchant, he has done it more than once –as he says he can measure out his life in moly booms – 1963-64,
but could not buy it officially, as the bilateral accounts showed no
deficit to Poland. This type of trade allowed leeway to the merchant 1979, 1993-94, 2003-04 - and he retains one of the best reputations
to buy Polish sulphur whose origin would be changed in Rotterdam in the business. Today, his son, Andrew runs the company that bears
his name, and Derek is free to play as much golf and cricket as his
and then sold to India for cleared dollars.
body can take…and drink as much tea as is safe and, thus, tell us
Another aspect of geopolitics was the building of stockpiles – thea little bit about what it was to be a 20th Century metal merchant.
Russians were at it, so were the Japanese, the Americans, theFrench and the British. Being a supplier to a stockpile was a lucrative
business led by the American Commodity Credit Corp; and there
Anthony Lipmann , of Lipmann Walton & Co, was interviewing
were examples of companies actually installing plant and
Derek Raphael, of Derek Raphael & Co.
of MoS2 raw material to UK FeMo producers.

12Liquidmetal

Liquidmetal will be used in place of the aluminium currently used inolder phones to achieve the same degree of strength but with lessweight, keeping the iPhone 7 thin and light.

Apple has gone to the effort of purchasing the rights to Liquidmetal,
so it cannot be used by others in the consumer electronics industry,
As the proud owner of my very own personalised Liquidmetal
so it seems likely that they have big plans for the material. It is
USB stick, made back in 2008, I was thrilled to hear thisimportant to note that Apple will be able to license the material toextraordinary material mentioned at the MMTA’s recent conference.
other industries and applications.
Liquidmetal, a name straight out of the Terminator films, is,
Why is Liquidmetal different from other metals?
however, unlikely to be used to make the time travelling cyborgsof the movies. (See over for more on these)
When conventional metal alloys cool from their molten state to a
My USB stick dates back to my undergraduate placement year forsolid, atoms naturally form a crystalline structure consisting ofa well-known car manufacturer, where I was working on a project many small crystalline grains (see diagram below) The specific ratio
to make small, complex components directly out of metal ratherof elements slows crystallization. When cooled quickly enough, thethan making plastic components and then coating the exposedalloy solidifies in an amorphous (glass-like) state, precluding
surfaces with zinc and chrome. At that time, the most well-known crystallization. As a result, the alloy retains the extremely denseuses of this material were in golf clubs, baseball bats and otheramorphous atomic structure that characterizes glass and gives
sporting equipment. Unfortunately, Liquidmetal had some well
Liquidmetal alloys their mechanical and chemical properties.
publicised issues with impact brittleness and some rather
Perhaps a more appropriate description of Liquidmetal is bulk
impressive failures after a certain number of hits. These public
metallic glass.
failures resulted in the business going into substantial debt.
Since then, the consumer electronics market has been the main
growth area for Liquidmetal. For example the SanDisk Cruzer
Titanium USB drives, with the slide-out connector, is not made oftitanium, but rather Liquidmetal. This type of small, complex partis ideally suited to this metal, an alloy of zirconium, titanium,
copper, nickel, and aluminium.
As mentioned, the driver for my own research project was theprocessing characteristics of this metal, the key quality that makes
As well as its positive forming characteristics, there are someit interesting to materials engineers looking to design innovative
negatives too. There is the impact brittleness we have alreadymetal parts and to fabricate them more simply than with traditional
touched upon, but there is also a gradual loss of integrity at highmetalworking technologies.
temperatures rather than a set melting temperature. Liquidmetal
is far from the only bulk metallic glass, with any number of alloys
The positive characteristics of Liquidmetal:
processed in the correct way being able to form an amorphous• Exceptional dimensional control and repeatability
structure. The key is to cool the alloy extremely quickly.
• Excellent corrosion resistance
What makes Liquidmetal special compared to other amorphous• Brilliant surface finish
alloys is that it is easier to make. To simplify, it doesn't need to becooled as quickly as other similar materials, meaning the process is• High strength
cheaper and easier, and greater quantities can be produced.
• High elastic limit• High hardness, scratch & wear resistance• Non-magnetic• Complex shapes that can be moulded

However, it looks like there will soon only be one company using
Liquidmetal in its electronic parts: Apple. Rumour has it that, as
well as the iPhone 7 having a longer battery life, potentially awater-resistant cover and the elimination of antenna lines, thechassis may be made of Liquidmetal. A very small quantity ofWhat is Liquidmetal like?
From the images,
Liquidmetal looks verymuch like a regular metal,
and more the colour ofsteel than aluminium.
Look closely and you willsee polished areas which
could be used to make thewhole part shiny if
required. In USB form,13

If you were to bend a thin piece of Liquidmetal, it would feel more
flexible than steel or aluminium, but will reach a point where it
suddenly becomes very difficult to deform further.
Experiments with Liquidmetal
This material does lend itself well to exciting experiments!
NASA are generally quite keen on Liquidmetal, having used it inseveral projects, as well as publishing a report following
experimentation on the material.
In one experiment, three marble-sized balls made of steel were
dropped from the same height into their own glass tubes. Eachtube had a different type of metal plate at the bottom: steel,titanium, and Liquidmetal. Once each ball was dropped, they wereleft to bounce. The balls hitting the steel and titanium plates
bounced for 20 to 25 seconds. The ball hitting the Liquidmetal platebounced for 1 minute and 21 seconds! During the experiment, thiswas also the only ball that bounced right out of its tube.
In another experiment (not performed by NASA!), a Porsche wasdriven over a Liquidmetal component causing no damage.
Commercial use
It seems that although technically a very
interesting material, Liquidmetal’s main uses
(ignoring its golf club application that
actually did offer mechanical advantages
before the shattering moment) have been as‘premium’ or ‘luxury’ additions to a product,similar to the use of the word ‘titanium’ inmany unnecessary products (which often
don’t even contain any titanium).
The incredibly expensive luxury phone brand Vertu, was at one
time made of Liquidmetal. (The price is mostly due to the 24hr
concierge service included)
Current iPhone Application
So what essential and critical part is currently made of Liquidmetalon the iPhone? Yes, the SIM card ejector pin.
It seems an unusual choice, but it does
prove that there is a factory somewherewith the ability to make millions ofLiquidmetal components, making theiPhone 7 rumours about Liquidmetal
having a more prominent use both morecredible and practically achievable.

Liquidmetal is useful anywhere you could imagine an extremely
hard, somewhat flexible, easily mouldable component to be useful.
It is conceivable that Apple will soon also be in business with themilitary, aerospace companies, and deep-sea drilling companies, as
they have the ability to now license this material out to these typesof industries (all of which have used or researched Liquidmetal in
the past).

Liquid metal in the Terminator Films…
Not to be confused with the branded Liquidmetal alloy!
In the Terminator 2 storyline, the T-1000 cyborg is made of liquid
metal. T-1000 is a more advanced Terminator than the first film,
and is composed entirely of a ‘mimetic polyalloy’, rendering it
capable of rapid shapeshifting, near-perfect mimicry and rapid
recovery from damage. Furthermore, it can use its ability to quickly
liquify and assume forms in innovative and surprising ways,
including fitting through narrow openings, morphing its arms into
solid metal tools or bladed weapons, walking through prison bars,
and flattening itself and capable of imitating the pattern andtexture of the ground to hide or ambush targets.
The polyalloy cannot function unless it is programmed with specificinstructions or controlled. The mimetic polyalloy can harden as solid
as any steel.
Vulnerabilities
The mimetic polyalloy can be destroyed by the following factors:
Heat
Temperatures in excess of 1535
degrees Celsius, such as those needed
to smelt iron, could permanently alter
the bonding processes of the mimetic
polyalloy. The molten iron (or any
T-1000 melting in molten steel.
other element) could then mix withthe elements of the alloy and physically alter its molecular
structure, thus rendering it inoperative. High temperatures addedwith collision damage, such as a crashing helicopter, can also
destroy the mimetic polyalloy.
Freezing
When a T-1000 is exposed to liquid nitrogen, it freezes its morphing
processes long enough for an enemy to shatter it with a single
gunshot. The effect is only temporary; heat can thaw the scatteredfragments and the T-1000 is able to reform itself.
Magnetic Fields

A T-X can be temporarily incapacitated
In an ideal materials world, Liquidmetal would be used as a hard,
non-deforming, non-corroding and generally scratch resistant case. by charging up a particle accelerator
and triggering a magnetic field. The
Plastics are flexible but not strong, and while metals are much
mimetic polyalloy is pulled from theT-X being incapacitated by astronger than plastics, they're not as flexible. Liquidmetal alloys canmagnetic field.
metallic endoskeleton by theprovide a more durable casing than plastic, which is much moremagnetic field.
resistant to dents, nicks, scratches and breakage.
Tamara Alliot, MMTA
Source: Wikipedia

14

15

A Very Brief History of
Swordmaking
The sword is a weapon full of imagery – of great armies and knights Smelting was first made possible through the use of bloomeries,– but it also parallels the metallurgical developments that made its now superseded by the blast furnace. At the time, iron’s highmelting point meant that swordsmiths could only produce a porous
use possible.
iron mass called a bloom, which then had to be hammered out overIts invention, the date of which is still disputed, grew from theseveral cycles of heating and cooling in order to produce a sword.
lengthening of daggers. These shorter weapons were originally
It must be said, however, that these iron swords were only slightly
made from copper, which although readily available is abetter in terms of strength and hardness than the bronze swords
relatively soft metal unsuited to anything other than a short
before them, but iron was very widely available, and the process
stabbing weapon.
was far simpler thanThe creation of thethat of producing alonger, sharp-edged,
bronze sword,
swinging and cutting
allowing for larger
weapon could notscale production andoccur without thebigger, sworddevelopment of acarrying armies,
harder metal. For thatwith predictablereason, its first
consequences.
appearance is thoughtOver time,
to be between the 17thswordsmiths– 16th century BC in the
discovered that byBlack Sea region. Thisadding charcoal
period would later(carbon) during the
become known as theiron smelting
Bronze Age.
process, and by
By adding tin to thequenching tocopper, a harder alloy
increase hardness,(bronze) could be created, which advanced the development of the then tempering to take away the brittleness, they could make far
sword; even though ancient swordsmiths may not have understood harder and resilient swords which did not lose their shape. The
all the alloy’s properties, there is evidence that they were able toprocess was, however, not easy to control and it took centuries
vary the composition to create different effects depending on their before the smiths learned to create the new alloy – steel - in any
battle priorities. For example, early Chinese swordsmiths preferred consistent way. The result was swords of vastly varying quality;
to use a higher percentage of tin (circa 20%) to create a harder,
indeed into the early Middle Ages, some swords were still being
though more brittle, sword, whereas other regions used a lower
made from iron. It was centuries before the true properties ofpercentage of tin (circa 10%) for a sword less likely to break insteel were understood.
battle, although more likely to bend.
It was not until the Iron Age (12th – 13th century BC), however, that
longer, sturdier swords could be developed.
By smelting raw iron (iron ore) using extreme heat and coal to bindthe oxygen in the iron ore, swordsmiths were able to produce
swords of almost pure iron with carbon dioxide as a by-product.
16

Video: ‘Liquid Fire’ to Metal Sword in minutes,
A History of Ancient Britain—Ep4, BBC2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEWIuyeNp2k
Sources: Gonzalez, R A brief history of the ancient science of sword
making http://io9.gizmodo.com/5831683/a-brief-history-of-theancient-science-of-sword-making

The Japanese Samurai Sword
It is said that the Japanese master swordsmith, Masamune,
accidentally knocked some powder he'd been using as an
asthma medication into the molten metal he was preparing for
one of his swords. Despite considering abandoning the melt, hedecided to continue and finish the blade. What he did not know
was that the grey powder was molybdenum, and the Katana
Samurai blade that resulted was not only harder and sharper
than anything that had been seen before, but also far more
flexible. It was said to be able to slice through a human bodyfrom collar bone to hip in a single stroke.
Masamune’s accident led to a revolution in steelmaking and to
Japan’s dominance of the global weapons’ industry, a status
they did not relinquish until the introduction of flintlock
muskets almost 300 years later.
Japanese swordsmithing is a traditional smelting process using
several layered steels with different carbon concentrations tostrengthen the blade and cause the blade to curve due to thedifferent densities of the layers of steel within it.
The blade is then polished for up to three weeks leaving thehamon – the distinct line down the sides of the blade – with amatte finish along the blunt edge.

Video: Samurai Swordmaking, Portland Art Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WkWNDDrQO4
Sources: Energy & Capital http://www.energyandcapital.com/
articles/investing-in-molybdenum/1136
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Japanese_swordsmithing

Image Author: By loulasedna - loulasedna, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Maria Cox, MMTA
17

IN BRIEF
FAME is a transnational research and innovation project to identify economically viable, technology
to exploit European ore deposits that are often relatively small in tonnage terms. Technologies will
be optimised to enable the efficient and sustainable exploitation of the relatively small mineraldeposits common in Europe.
This project specifically addresses three different primary ore types: skarn, greisen and pegmatite.
These ores carry significant potential for the extraction of Critical Raw Materials. Although theseore types are complex mineralogically and have variable metal grades, they are of great strategic
significance in relation to the overall resource balance of the EU.
As part of the project, a group of industry partners visited Kokkola/Kaustinen in Central Ostrobothnia in Western Finland. The region
comprises a cluster of resource, research and manufacturing on ore-based chemicals, especially in energy storage.
The lithium spodumene deposits found in Central Ostrobothnia are the most significant in Europe. The FAME project’s Finnish industrial
partner, Keliber Oy, is currently searching for and developing suitable ore deposits in the region.
The growing global importance of lithium and other metals such as cobalt, manganese, zinc and nickel for the battery industry has been thedriving force for this project to link industry with education, including the recycling of metal chemicals and study of the waste streams, aswell as developing business operations linked to them.
The focus group visited Oulu University’s Research group of Applied Chemistry at Kokkola University Consortium, which has long-term
experience of chemical processes related to metal battery chemical production and recycling, and is working with local business on therecycling of lithium-ion batteries, as well as alkaline battery recycling.
FAME Project Team

Solar Energy—
on the Golf Course

Ever since the Fukushima disaster of 2011, Japan has been searching for alternative energy sources to replace nuclear power, and witha decline in participation in the sport of golf in Japan, developers are beginning to look for innovative uses for abandoned golf courses.
This former course, once it goes live, will aim to generate enough power for over 30,000 households.
Source: Japan has finally figured out what to do with its abandoned golf courses, Ariel Schwartz, Business Insider, 16 July, 201518

Potential aerospace
applications
for new niobium-base master alloyin magnesium-aluminium andaluminium-silicon alloys
Scientists at Brunel University, London have discovered that apatented niobium-base master alloy improves grain refinement
in aluminium-containing magnesium alloys. That isn’t all — it alsooffers ‘significant advantages’ over titanium in aluminium-silicon
alloys.
The research team at the Brunel Centres for Advanced
Solidification Techniques saw significant improvements in bothtensile strength and ductility when the niobium master alloy
was added.
The team anticipates that their findings could lead to changes inaerospace applications, where a possible end to over-engineeringof cast components could lead to weight savings of up to 30%
without loss of strength or ductility.
The team also anticipates that the new master alloy could enable
excess aluminium-silicon alloy melts to be simply recycled backinto the process on site, rather than having to be sent off site.

Sources:www.brunel.ac.uk
ASM International

USE THE MMTA OFFICE MEETING ROOM FOR FREE*!
*BENEFIT OF MMTA MEMBERSHIPCENTRAL LONDON LOCATION

Screen, projector & flipchartFree Wi-fiTea, coffee, water provided—other refreshments
can be arranged at cost

Library resources
Contact the MMTA at admin@mmta.co.uk to bookthe meeting room.

1920