ISSN 2056-6735 (Online)

The New Blue
A History of Minor Metals in Nuclear
The Social Value of Metals

The magazine of the Minor Metals Trade Association

7th Edition 2016/July/August www.mmta.co.uk1

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2

NEW VENUEThe MMTA’s 43rd Anniversary Dinner
Tuesday, 1st November, 2016
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

INSIDE THIS ISSUEMMTA News in Brief

4-5

The Institute of Making

6

The New Blue

7

Letter from North America

8

Minor Metals in Nuclear

10

3D Printing News

13

Energy Storage

14-15

REACH—No Change in Sight

16

The Social Value of Metals

22

Next Generation Sustainable
Magnesium Primary Production

18

The MMTA promotes
essential elements that add
quality, safety andenjoyment to our lives.

The famous Long Room in the Grade II* listed Pavilion at Lord’s Cricket Groundis the spectacular new venue for this year’s Anniversary Dinner.
Join us for a networking drinks reception and dinner surrounded by theworld’s finest collection of cricketing art. (You don’t need to bea cricket enthusiast to appreciate this stunning venue!)

Numbers strictly limited to 200 - tickets are selling fast!

The MMTA is the world's
leading minor metals industry
organisation.

Contact Us:
Address: MMTA, Suite 53, 3 Whitehall Court,
London, SW1A 2EL, UK
Tel: +44 (0)207 833 0237

£105 MMTA Members and their guests (+ VAT where applicable)£150 Non Members (+ VAT where applicable)
Optional tour £12 (+ VAT where applicable)
An optional 45-minute tour of the Ground will be available before the start ofthe drinks reception - to book the tour, please add tour tickets to your booking
when paying online:
http://www.mmta.co.uk/events/2016/11/01/274
Alternatively, email admin@mmta.co.uk if you prefer to receive an invoice or
to enquire about sponsorship opportunities at this event.

Email: executive@mmta.co.uk

Disclaimer: The information and data contained in thisedition 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

MMTA NEWS IN BRIEF

Welcome to James Walsh…Goodbye to Tamara Alliot
As many of you will know, Tamara will be on maternity leave from the end of July. I am very pleased to say that we have recruited James
Walsh to cover in her absence. James has a BEng degree in Materials Science & Engineering from Sheffield University and a MSc in
Nuclear Science & Technology from the University of Manchester. After graduating, James worked for Firth Rixson and Neonickel. He islooking forward to meeting Members and learning more about minor metals and the industry.
I am sure you will join me in welcoming James to the MMTA and wishing Tamara all the very best with the birth of her first child.
James can be contacted at james@mmta.co.uk and on the general office number: +44 (0)207 833 0237.
Maria Cox, General Manager

MMTA Welcomes New Member:

ELG Utica Alloys Ltd
ELG Utica Alloys Limited, part of the ELG Haniel Group, are global leaders in the sourcing, processing & supply of pure metals (Co, Hf, Mo,
Ti, Ta, Nb, W, Zr) & super alloys (Nickel & Cobalt base). Working closely with all areas of the aerospace, medical & oil industries, we canprovide comprehensive revert programmes & sourcing solutions.
Our business is based on experience, integrity & the highest quality standards.
Contact: Craig Wilkes – Commercial Director
Tel: +44 (0) 1709 765900
Website: www.elguticaalloys.com
E-mail: craig.wilkes@elguticaalloys.com

CALLING ALL MMTA PHOTOGRAPHERS
We will shortly be launching our new website and we would like to include
some high quality images by Members illustrating the metals and processes
that make up our exciting and vital industry.
Any pictures selected for the website will include a quote and a link to yourcompany website. For more information or to send us your images, pleaseemail executive@mmta.co.uk
4

THE MMTA’S INTERNATIONAL MINOR METALS CONFERENCE 2017
TAKING PLACE AT THE CONRAD HOTEL, DUBLIN, IRELAND, 24-26 APRIL 2017
Organised by Metal Events Ltd
The 2016 conference was our biggest yet.
Make sure you are part of the industry's premier event for the minor metals sector
with new enhanced MMTA Member Conference Rates for 2017

Be sure to take advantage of the current excellent early-bird rates:
MMTA Members will pay the exceptional rate of £600 (+ VAT where applicable) for all
registrations received by 28th October 2016

The current fee for Non-Members is £950 (+ VAT where applicable) for all registrations received
by 11th January 2017

Non-Members have time to benefit from the excellent Member rateby applying for MMTA membership now.
To find out more, contact admin@mmta.co.uk

To register for the conference or for more information please visit www.metalevents.com or
www.mmta.co.uk alternatively email sales@metalevents.com

5The Institute of Making
Tamara Alliot, MMTA

Its mission is to provide all makers with a creative home in which to innovate, contemplate and understand all aspects ofmaterials and an inspiring place to explore their relationship to making.
The IOM3’s Sustainable Development Group, of which I am a Member, was recently invited to visit the Institute of Making at University
College London (UCL). Mark Miodownik, who many of you will remember as the keynote speaker at the MMTA’s 2014 London Conference,welcomed us to the Institute with a look at the Materials Library, a growing repository of some of the most extraordinary materials onearth, gathered together for their ability to fire the imagination and advance conceptualisation. The walls are devoted to a myriad ofmaterials, ranging from fish scales to tyres and ingots of metal. An added feature of the inspirational display is that visitors areencouraged to handle and closely examine the exhibits.

Image: Some of the exhibits in the Materials Library

From Pottery Wheels to 3D Printers
Alongside the Materials Library collection is the ‘Makespace’ – a workshop where both members of the Institute and guests can make,break, design and combine both advanced and traditional tools, techniques and materials. During the visit we saw traditional pottery
wheels in action, quickly followed by 3D printing. The facility brings together equipment, expertise and perspectives of making froma wide range of disciplines, encouraging users to engage in craft, design, technology, history, philosophy, art and engineering.
The Institute of Making is a multi-disciplinary research club for those interested in the made world. Membership of and day-to-day
access to the Institute is unfortunately only available to UCL staff and students. Luckily there is an active public programme of symposia,
masterclasses, and open days exploring the links between academic research and hands-on experience, and celebrating the sheer joy of‘stuff’, so we can all benefit from the Institute’s activities.
Upcoming events can be found here: http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/events
Further Reading: Stuff Matters, The Strange Stories of the Marvellous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World, Miodownik, Mark,
Penguin Books, 2013
6

The New BlueThe latest product in a long tradition - the search for a perfect blue
pigment – is about to reach the market. A new blue pigment, which
was discovered in 2009 by chemists at Oregon State University,
demonstrates that there are still new pigments to be discovered.
What is of particular interest is that the discovery was what
department leader, OSU chemist Mas Subramanian, describes as“serendipity, actually; a happy, accidental discovery”. Subramanianand his team were experimenting with potential materials forelectronics applications when they mixed black manganese oxidewith other chemicals and heated them to a high temperature.
One of the samples turned a vivid blue.
The team reports that “the new pigment is formed by a unique
crystal structure that allows the manganese ions to absorb red andgreen wavelengths of light, while only reflecting blue. The vibrantblue is so durable, and its compounds are so stable – even in oil andwater – that the color does not fade”.
The pigment, which is known as “YInMn” blue - from its elemental
makeup, which includes yttrium, indium and manganese - will not
only provide artists with another blue to add to their palette, it will be
used in a wide range of coatings and plastics. There has also beeninterest from art restorers. Subramanian explains that "our pigment
is useful for art restoration, because it is similar to ultramarine but
really more durable.”
The pigment’s characteristics mean that it is completely non-toxic,and can be applied to a range of products, for example to keep
buildings cool by reflecting infrared light when used in paint or evenin green (or in this case, blue) roofing materials. Its infrared
reflectivity (about 40 percent) is much higher than other blue
pigments, so YInMn blue may play a role in energy efficiency.
Subramanian says that “ever since the early Egyptians developed
some of the first blue pigments, the pigment industry has been
struggling to address problems with safety, toxicity and durability.”
The team at OSU will continue to test the new blue for otherapplications, but will also be attempting to discover more new
pigments. “Who knows what we may find?,” says Subramanian.
Maria Cox, MMTA

Sources:
Licensing agreement reached on brilliant new blue pigment discovered by happy
accident by Mark Floyd, 27/05/15
http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2015/may/licensing-agreement-reachedbrilliant-new-blue-pigment-discovered-happy-accident
Mas Subramanian, Oregan State University
The Chemist Who Discovered the World's Newest Blue Explains Its Miraculous Properties, Artnet. Copyright 2016.
Sarah Cascone, Monday, June 20, 2016
http://www.techinsider.io/a-scientist-discovered-a-new-blue-2016-6?
utm_content=buffer5e190&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_ca
mpaign=buffer-ti

7

LETTER FROM NORTH AMERICA
By Tom Butcher, Independent Consultant
Dear Members
Well, much has happened since I last wrote you back in May. Amongst other things, we’ve had: Brexit, Donald Trump prevailing, Cameron
resigning, and Hillary Clinton not being indicted. And I’ve been busy speaking at the UN (as I now seem to do every June at the Conferenceof States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), and taking my holidays in the north of Cyprus.
You can, however, heave a sigh of relief, as I am not going to talkabout any of these!
Instead, I am going to take a quick look at what’s happening herewith modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
A more palatable alternative?
As many of you will remember, the original TSCA was enacted
back in 1976. Roll forward 40 years, give or take, and on June 22
this year, after years of negotiation, President Obama signed into
law The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century
Act (LCSA), bi-partisan comprehensive reform legislation to
update the regulation of chemicals in the U.S.
As the American Chemistry Council describes it: “Thanks to TSCA
reform, America’s manufacturers will have the regulatory
certainty they need to innovate, grow, create jobs and win in the global marketplace—at the same time that public health and theenvironment benefit from strong risk-based protections.” Essentially, until now, the core provisions of TSCA had never been updated oramended since it was enacted all those years ago.
The new Act includes such changes as:

Subjecting all new and existing chemicals to an EPA safety review

Requiring EPA to focus on chemicals that are the highest priorities for full risk-based safety assessments

Strengthening transparency and the quality of science used to make EPA decisions



Expanding EPA’s ability to require additional health and safety testing of chemicals

Allowing industry to request that EPA conduct a safety assessment on a specific chemicalProviding EPA with a full range of options to address the risks of substances including labeling requirements, use restrictions,
phase-outs or other appropriate actions



Setting aggressive and attainable timelines for EPA to complete its workPromoting cooperation between state and federal regulators while creating a strong national chemical regulatory system, ensuring
interstate commerce is not disadvantaged

Strengthening protections for the most vulnerable like infants, children and the elderlyProtecting Confidential Business Information (CBI)

To put things in context, it is interesting to note that, as part of the whole process of updating TSCA, as far back as August 2007, the U.S.
Government Accountability Office was asked to “review (by said Senator Lautenberg) the approaches used under TSCA and REACH for (1)requiring chemical companies to develop information on chemicals’ effects, (2) controlling risks from chemicals, and (3) making information
on chemicals available to the public.”
As many of us are, perhaps, too well aware, and as described in the GAO findings, there were some significant contrasts between the two
approaches, not least the fact that “TSCA places the burden of proof on EPA to demonstrate that a chemical poses a risk to human health or
the environment before EPA can regulate its production or use, while REACH generally places a burden on chemical companies to ensurethat chemicals do not pose such risks or that measures are identified for handling chemicals safely.”
It will, therefore, now be the task of the EPA to make things “work”. (There may be at least some comfort to be drawn from the fact that its
leader, Gina McCarthy, has said that the agency is “eager to get to work.”)

8

So, what has the EPA got to do? Amongst other things, within the first year alone, “it must complete formal rulemakings, including toestablish processes of prioritization, risk evaluation and ‘resetting’ the inventory of chemicals in commerce.” In addition, the agency must,within the next six months, start work on evaluating the risks of at least ten substances.
As June drew to a close, the EPA was as good as its word, publishing a “roadmap” of major activities and important deadlines for the coming
year. On a metals front alone, two of its “Early Mandatory Actions” will be to address “Additions to Mercury Export Ban” and “Mercury
Inventory”.
It can only be described as refreshing that, when setting out its roadmap, the agency actually said that it “believes that it is important toengage partners and stakeholders early in the process, and to be transparent as possible.” Now, how welcome is that?!
Or course it remains to be seen just how much engagement there actually will be going forward, but for the EPA to put itself on the line likethat is, if nothing else, somewhat refreshing.
And, having passed on such refreshment, I shall now bid recipients of this missive farewell, while, at the same time, wishing them all thebest from a rather warm New York.
Yours
Tom Butcher, July 12th, 2016 ©2016 Tom Butcher
Sources:American Chemistry Council: Policy –TSCA, https://www.americanchemistry.com/Policy/Chemical-Safety/TSCA/
GAO: CHEMICAL REGULATION - Comparison of U.S. and Recently Enacted European Union Approaches to Protect against the Risks of Toxic Chemicals, http://www.gao.gov/
new.items/d07825.pdf
Ibid.
ChemicalWatch: President's signature sets implementation in motion, https://chemicalwatch.com/48169/tsca-reform-signed-into-law
Ibid.
ChemicalWatch: EPA releases implementation roadmap for reformed TSCA, https://chemicalwatch.com/48353/epa-releases-implementation-roadmap-for-reformed-tsca
EPA: The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act: First Year Implementation Plan, https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-undertsca/frank-r-lautenberg-chemical-safety-21st-century-act-2

Titanium Comet Diaspora

For many people, engineering conjures up
images of bridges, tunnels and buildings.
But the annual University of Cambridge
engineering photo competition shows that
not only is engineering an incredibly diverse
field, it’s a beautiful one too.
This experiment was an attempt to joinsapphire to steel by using laser irradiationand titanium foil as a flux. This is a
microscope image taken on the periphery of
the experiment showing the underside of asheet of sapphire with a titanium sheet tothe left. The condition of the titanium, thebrown condensation and all the ejecta on
the right demonstrate the energy involved.
The image scale is approximately
1 mm x 0.7 mm.
Photo by Andrew Payne,
University of Cambridge
Source: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/bullet-holes-and-graphene-cavespicturing-engineering
9From the A Bomb to Hinkley Point
and Beyond — Minor Metals in Nuclear
James Walsh, MMTA

Nuclear power has certainly had its up and downs over the last 70
years, tracing its origins back to the Second World War with the race
to build the atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project was an R&D
program led by Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic
bomb, and involved some famous names including Albert Einsteinand Enrico Fermi.
Following the end of the war, attention was turned to utilising thisnew nuclear technology for more peaceful purposes and so began
the commercialisation of nuclear fission power across the world.

from the aqueous environment of the coolant. A magnesium alloy
containing small amounts of aluminium and a fraction of beryllium
was used since it has a very low thermal neutron capture crosssection, which means the neutrons can pass through the material
undisturbed and hence a chain reaction can be maintained.
The addition of aluminium provided solid solution strengthening
while the minor amount of beryllium helped improve the oxidation
resistance.

Through the 1950s and 1960s technology progressed and a newversion of the Magnox, the Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) was
The first commercial nuclear reactors began to pop up in the latedesigned in the UK. The magnesium cladding was replaced by
1950s at sites including Shippingport, USA and Calder Hall
stainless steel, after originally planning to use a beryllium based(Sellafield), UK. These early reactor designs, now classed ascladding which eventually proved unsuitable for various reasonsGeneration I reactors, laid the foundations for the utilisation ofincluding its scarcity, cost and toxicity. The AGR, a Generation-II
nuclear power, including the necessary new materials’ development
reactor, along with Light Water Reactors (LWR), both Pressurised
required to withstand these new and challenging environments.
Water Reactor (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
The Calder Hall reactor was the test bed for the development of theincorporated improved design and safety features over Generation-I
Magnox reactor, the UK's own design deployed at ten other sites
reactors. LWRs make up the majority of reactors operated in theacross the country.
Western Hemisphere, with PWRs being implemented much sooner
than BWRs due to the belief that pressurised water would be safer
to handle than steam in the reactor core. The PWR employs Zircaloy-4, a zirconium alloy as the cladding, as it has excellent corrosion
resistance in aqueous environments, low thermal neutron crosssection and good heat resistance, and almost three times themelting temperature of magnesium. The alloy additions include tin(1.5wt %), chromium (0.1wt %) and iron (0.2wt %), which improvethe mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.
Another major application of minor metals in nuclear is in control
rods, which are used for rapid control of the reactor for start-up or
shutdown, i.e. insertion of the rods into the core will shut down thereactor by slowing down or stopping neutrons. Suitable materials
must have high neutron absorption cross section, typical examples
include a silver-indium-cadmium alloy, boron carbide and hafnium.
The nature of a PWR is that the water that passes through the coreis prevented from boiling, so this primary loop connects to asecondary loop via a heat exchanger, or steam generator, made upof thousands of thin pipes. A nickel-based alloy or superalloy isused, e.g. Alloy 800 (30%Ni, 19%Cr, 39.5%Fe) or Alloy 600 (72%Ni,
14%Cr, 6%Fe, 1%Mn) respectively. Intuitively, a Boiling Water Reactor
allows the water to boil in the core, so there is no requirement for a
Magnox Reactor with Mg Alloy Fuel Rod Source: Murty & Charit
steam generator. One similarity with PWRs is on the cladding
The Magnox name, short for Magnesium non-oxidising, comes from material, also a zirconium alloy, Zircaloy-2, which has a small
the material used as a cladding, which separates the uranium fuel10

result of carefully controlled ingot
chemistry. Ultimately, it makes
high-burnup fuel cycles possible, whichleads to significant fuel cost savings.
The future of commercial nuclear powerhas been encapsulated in the
Generation-IV International Forum(GIF), a framework for cooperation in
R&D for the next generation of nuclear
reactors. Set up in 2000, it shortlisted
six reactor types for several nations towork together and collaborate on. These
reactors are being designed to be safer,
have longer lives (over 60 years), be
proliferation-resistant, andGenerations of nuclear reactors: Each time range corresponds to the design and deployment of eachgeneration of reactors
economically viable compared to thecurrent fleet of nuclear reactors
addition of nickel (0.05%) and slightly lower iron content thanspanning the globe. The nature of these reactors will have
Zircaloy-4. Zircaloy-2 is also used in the Canadian Heavy Water
demanding service conditions, in terms of higher neutron doses,
Reactors (CANDU).
exposure to higher temperatures and corrosive environments thatthe structural components will be expected to resist. This poses a
Generation-III and III+ reactors again make evolutionary
significant challenge for the materials selection and qualification
improvements on the Gen-II reactors in terms of fuel efficiency,
and because of these stringent requirements, the materials
longer operational life, passive safety and a more standardised
employed in today’s commercial reactors are not suitable for use
design to help reduce capital costs. The first of these reactors thatin Gen-IV reactors. Taking zirconium alloys as an example, these arecame online in 1996 is the Advanced BWR, but others that haven't
been adopted or built yet, include the AP600 and AP1000 developed used routinely as fuel cladding among other applications in reactors
because of their low neutron capture cross section and goodby Westinghouse and the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR)
corrosion resistance in high temperature aqueous environments. In
developed by Areva, EDF and Siemens. The EPR may be the first
Gen-IV reactors, however, higher operating temperatures would
reactor to be built in the UK, at Hinckley Point C, in over 20 years.
limit the use of Zr alloys because of increased susceptibility to
If the final go ahead is given by the UK Government, which ishydrogen embrittlement due to severe hydride formation, poor
expected in Autumn 2016, it will become the most expensive
creep properties, and oxidation. Although, with that said, thestructure on the planet, estimated at £18 billion, and is expected toSupercritical Water Reactor (SCWR) has a relatively low
deliver 7% of the UK’s electricity.
temperature reactor design (ranging from 280-620°C core outlet
temperature) and so may be suitable for use of some highperformance Zr alloys.

Artist’s impression of Hinkley Point C, Source: BBC website

At a recent Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) international workshop,
Structural Materials for Innovative Nuclear Systems, held at The
University of Manchester in July 2016, there was significant focus onsustainability and longevity of the nuclear industry and reactor
lifetime, and much of the current research covers both Gen-IV
reactors and fusion technology. There are several ongoing programs
supporting progress in materials’ development for reactor
technology, including The Joint Programme on Nuclear Materials(JPNM), which was created in 2010 as part of the European Energy
Research Alliance (EERA) to coordinate European research on
Gen-IV reactor materials. Another, the MatISSE project (Materials’
Innovations for a Safe and Sustainable nuclear in Europe) supports
the EERA/JPNM, aims at building a European integrated research
program on materials innovation for safe and sustainable nuclear.

New advancements in materials technology have allowed for someof these developments, including an improved zirconium alloy,
M5 (0.8-0.12%Nb, 0.09-0.13%O) developed by Areva. This fully
re-crystallised, ternary Zr-Nb-O alloy gives further enhanced
Some of the ongoing research has shown potential for minor metalcorrosion, hydrogen and creep behaviours. Its stable microstructure
containing materials. Among several candidate structural materials
is responsible for these performance improvements and is the11for advanced fission and fusion nuclear reactors, oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels are considered promising, as they have highstrength at high temperatures and good resistance to corrosion and irradiation degradation. There are several types of ODS steels withdifferent chromium content; 9-12wt%Cr martensitic steels and 14-16wt%Cr ferritic steels. It has been considered that the replacement of
Zr alloy cladding with high-performance ferritic steels may help delay hydrogen generation in the case of a severe accident in a reactor
core, resulting in a large time lag up to hydrogen explosion.
Molybdenum and its alloys have been shown to possess the necessary qualities to make them a desirable structural material for Gen-IV
reactors, such as the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) and Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR).

Comparison of Six Generation IV Systems, Source: IAEA

In fusion reactors, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) being constructed in the south of France,
structural materials are required that can perform in temperatures as low as -269°C (4 Kelvin). One new material is a high manganesestainless steel (12Cr, 12Ni, 10Mn, 5Mo, 0.2N), which has been developed specifically for this purpose by the Japan Atomic Energy
Agency (JAEA).
Tungsten is one of the most promising materials for plasma facing components in future fusion tokamaks, a technology invented in theSoviet Union in the 1960s, but soon adopted by researchers around the world. The Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) is home to the
Joint European Torus (JET), the largest and most powerful tokamak currently operating. The ongoing research on tungsten at CCFE
requires further investigation on its performance under neutron irradiation.
It is clear that whichever Gen-IV systems are favoured, there is a bright future for minor metals in the nuclear sector; the big question
marks are more in the area of political acceptability, as the new UK Government has only recently demonstrated by its last minutehesitation over Hinkley Point C.

Sources:International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) https://www.iaea.org/
BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36897180
Murty, KL & Charit, I, An Introduction to Nuclear Materials: Fundamentals and Applications, Wiley, 2012 http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/
WileyTitle/productCd-3527407677,subjectCd-PH20.html
Gen-IV Forum, https://www.gen-4.org
12

THOR—theworld’s first 3D
printed aircraft

Although only 4 metres (13 feet) long, Thor, Airbus’ first 3D printed
drone, was recently on display at the International Aerospace
Exhibition in Berlin. THOR stands for ‘Test of High-tech Objectives
in Reality’ and resembles a large, white model airplane.

The new 3D printers can make pieces up to 40 centimetres (15inches) long and are of most use in particularly complex designs.
For example, Airbus is testing how to print an injection assembly foran engine that is currently assembled from 270 individual pieces.

Airbus sees the small pilotless propeller aircraft as "a test of what's
possible with 3D printing technology," said Detlev Konigorski, who
was in charge of developing Thor, speaking at the air show. "Wewant to see if we can speed up the development process by using
3D printing not just for individual parts but for an entire system."

Aside from the costs savings, 3D printing also promises ecologicalbenefits, as lighter jets use less fuel and emit fewer pollutants.

In Thor, the only parts that are not printed from a substance calledpolyamide are the electrical elements.
Airbus and its US rival Boeing are already using 3D printing, notably
to make parts for their huge passenger jets the A350 and B787
Dreamliner.

To reducing carbon emissions in aviation—with air traffic expected
to double in the next 20 years—"the decisive issue is radical
technical innovation in a relatively short time," said Ralf Fuecks,
head of the Heinrich Boell foundation think tank of the German
Green Party. 3D printing is certain to play a major role in this, hesaid at a conference at the ILA event with Airbus president Tom
Enders.

The air travel industry is already convinced of the benefits,
according to a survey of some 102 aviation sector players by“Metal parts produced can also be 30-50 percent lighter than in theGerman high-tech federation Bitkom.
past, and there is almost zero manufacturing waste”.
Some 70 percent of respondents believed that by 2030, aircraft
Engineers also plan to use the technology in space. The future
spare parts will be printed directly at airports, and 51 percent expect
Ariane 6 rocket of European Space Agency ESA, planned for a 2020
that entire planes will by then be manufactured by 3D printing.
blast-off, is set to feature many printed pieces. Airbus cites big cost
reductions on parts’ manufacturing as a key factor. Partially as aresult of this, the Ariane 6 may be half the price of its predecessor Original Article Source: http://m.phys.org/news/2016-06-airbus-3d-printed-mini-aircraft.html
Ariane 5.

3D printed titanium parts from Alcoa
Alcoa will supply titanium fuselage and engine components for aircraft by using 3D printing technology expecting to deliver the first
additive manufactured parts to Airbus from mid-2016.
The expertise required was gained through last year’s acquisition of RTI International Metals (now known as Alcoa Titanium & Engineered
Products (ATEP)) and expansion of existing operations. Alcoa also recently invested in 3D printing and metallic powder production
capabilities at its technical centre outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These new 3D printed parts utilise ATEP’s titanium ingot melting
and billetizing, machining, finishing and inspection technologies.
Alcoa will employ advanced CT scan and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) capabilities at its advanced aerospace facility in Whitehall, Michigan.
HIP is a technology that strengthens the metallic structures of traditional and additive manufactured parts made of titanium and nickel
based superalloys.
Additionally, Alcoa is bolstering its additive manufacturing capabilities through a $60 million expansion in advanced 3D printing materials
and processes, including metallic powders. The expansion is located at the Alcoa Technical Centre near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, theworld’s largest light metals research centre.
13

Another Interesting Infographic from The Visual Capitalist

14

Could electric vehicles
be one solution toenergy storage?
Maria Cox, MMTA
Image source: shutterstock

What if the electricity grid were to use the batteries in the growing
numbers of electric vehicles to help ease the peaks and troughs inenergy supply and demand and stabilise the grid? One of the big
problems faced by the national grids of many countries is that evenwith a mix of electricity sources, there are wide variations in supply
and demand, especially as we move towards higher use ofrenewables. The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t
always shine at the time of day when we all want to use ourelectricity (eg. early evening), and similarly it might be blowing a galein the middle of the night when most of us are asleep. Electricity
companies are faced with the problem of not having enoughelectricity for our use – and potentially having to buy it in at greatcost – or absurdly, having to pay to get rid of excess power at certain
times. Why? Because they aren’t able to store sufficient amounts ofpower and release it back into the grid at times of shortage.
However, there could potentially be a solution: imagine a few years
from today when significant numbers of us will be driving electricvehicles, if car manufacturers are correct. We charge our car
batteries, we go about our business and when we return to thehouse in the evening, we plug our cars in to recharge their batteries.

It appears that it would be possible for the power grid to use thesethousands of batteries to store excess power and then draw back onthat power when the grid is under pressure. It would potentiallyprovide a huge amount of extra capacity at no additional cost to us
as electricity users.
Obviously, there are some questions that would need to beanswered, for example what would happen if the grid has justemptied my car battery to meet the nation’s power needs just at thetime I have to rush out unexpectedly? I’m expecting my battery to be
fully charged because I plugged it in when I got home, and suddenly
it’s flat! It’s clear there would need to be some rules around when
the grid could take our power, but that must be achievable.
Similarly, car owners would need to be reassured that the additionalcharging and emptying cycles would not shorten the lifespan of the
car’s battery. However, there is potential in the idea to solve theenergy storage issues associated with increased use of renewables.
Inspired by: IOM3 Energy Materials Group Lecture - A Guide to theSurreal World of Energy Storage Materials: Understanding Materials
FailureThe periodic table:
fictional edition

Image: Shutterstock

In the event that you are bored of the periodic table - unlikely,
I know - Bodycote have published a brilliantly fun fictional editionon their website. It showcases elements from mythology such as:
Adamantine - used in the sword that killed Medusa; Dalekanium –Doctor Who fans unite!, and Valyrian steel, the mystical metal that Image Source: HBO
the MMTA team has taken a special liking to.
Valyrian steel is famously used in George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series - or, as most will know it, Game of Thrones. The author
described Valyrian steel as a fantasy metal with magical characteristics. A Valyrian steel sword, said to be forged with dragon fire, is of
unparalleled quality; it will never dull and can even defeat white walkers - the living dead!
There are clear parallels between Valyrian steel and Damascan steel: Damascan steel swords were extraordinary in their time, have notbeen successfully replicated in recent years and they, like Valyrian steel swords, have naturally occurring rippled patterns. Valyrian steel
may be a fictional masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece inspired by a very real material.
Gina Evangelidis, MMTA
Source: http://www.bodycote.com/fictional-metals
15

REACH—no change in sight to 2018
deadline requirements
Maria Cox, MMTA

The UK’s decision on 23 June to leave the EU has created someconcern about the status of REACH, the EU’s Chemicals
Regulation. One particular area of uncertainty is the 2018 REACH
registration deadline. The environment ministry (Defra) and the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is the UK REACH
competent authority, are urging UK firms impacted by the 2018
deadline to continue as previously planned, in order to ensurethat potential disruption to supply chains is kept to a minimum.
In addition to working towards the 2018 REACH deadline, both
Defra and the HSE will additionally be undertaking work to build
up their own capacity to manage chemicals regulation postBrexit, as well as analysing the issues arising from the change.
They will also be working to ensure companies are aware of andunderstand their obligations.
Defra says that UK-based companies affected have the legal
obligation to register their substances by the 2018 deadline, andthat the UK will remain bound by EU law until the agreement forthe country’s withdrawal comes into force, a period of 2 years(unless an extension is agreed by all parties) from the date
Article 50 of the EU Treaty is invoked by the UK. However, evenbeyond that date, companies wanting to trade with the EUshould expect to meet REACH standards.
The argument, put forward by some, that UK companies
currently impacted by REACH need not register substances
under the final 2018 REACH deadline would not be backed by thecountry's chemical manufacturers trade body, it has said.

Further Information:
CSF guidance document
Echa REACH 2018 webpages
Chemical Watch Brexit Coverage

Speaking to Chemical Watch, after last month's Brexit vote, Steve
Elliott, Chief Executive of the Chemical Industries Association (CIA),
said: "Some things won't change, like the UK Health and Safety at
Work Act, because they are UK driven, and…as things stand, someexisting rules and regulations will need to be complied with – the2018 [REACH] deadline, for example, falls before the Brexit
negotiations can be completed, and it would be pretty unfair toanybody who responded to the first two deadlines if there was a
Article adapted from:move to ignore the third one. And certainly, this isn't something we
UK firms should comply with 2018 deadline, says CIA head, Geraint
would support."
Roberts, Chemical Watch, 14 July 2016 / REACH, United Kingdom,
Echa, the agency to which REACH registrations must be submitted, https://chemicalwatch.com/48607
has a dedicated REACH 2018 section on its website, withinformation designed to help first-time registrants, especially SMEs,
understand what they need to do to register a substance, andproviding step-by-step guidance.
16

UK government urges firms to press on with 2018 registrations,

Geraint Roberts, Chemical Watch, 13 July 2016 / Chemical manufacturing, REACH, Substance registration, United Kingdom https://chemicalwatch.com/48577/uk-government-urges-firms-to-press-on-with-2018-registrations

17

Next generation sustainablemagnesium primary production
Dr. Ing. Martin Tauber, Industry Consultant, President Critical Raw
Materials (CRM) Alliance, Member of International Magnesium
Association (IMA) EU Committee Contact martintauber3120@gmail.com
Although magnesium still has a strong position in the“lightweight material-mix”, it has certainly lost ground toaluminium, carbon fibre and reinforced steel, with alternatives
mostly chosen above magnesium because of supply-related
issues. New magnesium primary producers and projects in thepipeline are forming a more sustainable supply base on a global
level, and will provide different industries with a beneficial
metal, building on strong environmental arguments. Toyota
recently announced its intention to completely eliminate all CO2
emissions, including materials, parts and manufacturing, from avehicle’s lifecycle.
There are arguably CO2 footprint benefits in the Mg primary
project pipeline which offer advantages over other lightweightmaterial, and it is possible that magnesium industry benefits
could influence future public and private procurement. This
could mean that the next generation of global primarymagnesium supply may provide the magnesium industry with
beneficial sustainability arguments to support the case for highvolume growth.

Examples of such privately developed principles are:
 The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting
Guidelines – globally the most widely used, including sector
specific guidelines for “Mining & Metals”.
 The ICMM Sustainable Development Principles
 The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)
 The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) The British Standards Institution (BSI) responsible sourcing
sector certification scheme standard for construction
products (BS 8902:2009)
An increasing number of stock exchanges (e.g. SGX Singapore)around the world are now mandating sustainability reporting fromtheir listed companies, and as a result, sustainability reporting
practices have grown rapidly, and are beginning to receive more
attention in Asia as well.

From shareholders to stakeholders
A 2014 pwc CEO study reveals that most CEOs surveyed agree
that business has social as well as financial responsibilities;
80% say it’s important for their business to measure andreduce its environment footprint. 74% agree that measuring
and reporting non-financial impacts contributes to theirbusiness’ long-term success.

How is sustainability relevant to the magnesium
supply value chain?

In 2014, the European Parliament set a duty in law to report on the
non-financial impacts of business activities. After ratification,companies
will have to report on their policies on diversity, social
There are many tailored, often self-serving definitions ofissuesandoncorruption, as well as the risks they pose to humansustainability, with but all are fundamentally about:rights and to the environment, including through their supply chains.
 Living within the limits
To-date, 2500 companies have voluntarily produced sustainability
 Understanding the interconnections between economy, society, reports and this number will rise to nearly 7000 by 2017, when thelaw comes into effect. As such, they will be making themselves
and environment
accountable not just to their shareholders, but to all stakeholders.
 Equitable distribution of resources and opportunities

From voluntary to mandatory – an opportunity

Sustainability is perhaps the most frequent green “buzz word”,
for magnesium?
and is well used for “green washing” of information; it is neither adisruption of existing processes nor a direct call for savings.
With mandatory sustainable reporting requirements, OEMs and also
Furthermore, it is difficult to define whether a product or process is TIER companies, need to talk about their raw material procurement
more or less sustainable without defining the right indicators. For the strategies and related sustainability indicators. Aluminium andmagnesium supply value chain, the concept of “Sustainability for
automotive association member companies are already including
Business and Production” can be used, and is described as follows:sustainability content in their stakeholder communications.


Product: Safe and ecologically sound throughout its life cycleProcess: Wastes and ecologically incompatible by-products are
reduced, eliminated or recycled on-siteWorkers: Their security and well-being is a priority

Sustainability for international and corporate reporting
Most companies and other organisations, as well as governments,
have defined their sustainability standards and indicators based oninternational declarations and adopted non-binding standards.
A frequently used term is also “Corporate Social Responsibility”.
Sustainability standards are often privately developed principles,
providing guidance to businesses on implementation, and may or
may not be derived from international norms.
18

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), for example, was honoured with the 2015
Queens Award for Sustainable Development. The Governancestructure of JLR expresses very clearly the high level responsibility
for sustainability: “Our CEO and Board of Directors are ultimately
responsible for sustainable business development at Jaguar Land
Rover”. JLR is part of the global Aluminium Stewardship Initiative(ASI), which has developed a performance standard for the whole
supply chain by a multi-stakeholder approach.

Circular Economy
The concept of a circular economy has recently gained tractionin European policy-making as a positive, solutions-based
perspective for achieving economic development within increasing
environmental constraints. The overall aim is to manage all natural

resources efficiently and, above all, sustainably. Unlike the traditional
linear take-make-consume-dispose approach, a circular economy
seeks to increase the share of renewable or recyclable resources
while reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy and, atthe same time, cutting emissions and material losses.
The circular economy is not a single tool, but a package of measuresaiming for a much more complete approach than sustainability
alone, and it builds on other tools such as the Life Cycle Analysis(LCA), the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and theOrganisation Environmental Footprint (OEF). The PEF is a measureof all quantifiable environmental impacts over the full life cycle ofa product and covers emissions to water, air and soil, use anddepletion of scarce resources, and impacts from land use.

metals, also need to receive greater attention and transparency,
both as a product in their own right, and as alloying elements.
Sustainability reporting needs to cover different raw material
intakes, not just capturing the fabricated product or part.

As with JLR and Novelis above, most sustainability reports fromaluminium companies do not mention magnesium at all in relation
to their sustainable sourcing or responsible procurement.

With increasing mandatory non-financial reporting, there will be an
opportunity for more sustainable primary magnesium production to
be profiled by means of life cycle assessments, in particular withregard to the raw material intake. But primary magnesium supply
is not the only area which demonstrates the lack of current profilingof the magnesium industry. Pre-consumer and EoL recycling/treatment are also lacking transparency and knowledge among
Jaguar Land Rover also looks to the Circular Economy, by teaming
stakeholders. The fact that magnesium is used as an alloying
up and building unique closed loops with its key suppliers. One ofthem is Novelis, pursuing their key goal of developing low cost alloys element and “lives on & on” in secondary aluminium is missing fromthe message, and even dedicated aluminium recycling information
with higher recycled and End of Life (EoL) aluminium content.
fails to make reference to magnesium. This lack of profile is a
Similarly, JLR invested in a £6m closed loop system in their press
significant disadvantage for magnesium, and as a result, it is very
shops to capture aluminium by segregating all metal waste todifficult to place magnesium within a circular economy approach, if
maximise what can be reused. Novelis also announced a new alloy
designed for automotive to contain up to 75% recycled content, and the relevant stakeholders are not informing or being informed about
what happens to the magnesium after collection of an aluminium
strengthened its relationship with JLR: “As a leader in alloy
beverage can, an automotive part or a construction profile.
innovation and aluminium recycling, Novelis is honoured to workwith Jaguar Land Rover to help lead the automotive industry insustainable vehicle manufacturing.” This collaboration for a closed- The EU Emission Trading Systemloop value chain is also demonstrated in their earlier REALCAR
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is a ‘cap and trade’
project (REcycled ALuminium CAR).
system. As the first and largest emissions trading system for
However, neither the 2014 JLR nor the Novelis Sustainability Report reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, the EU ETS covers morethan 11,000 power stations and industrial plants in 31 countries.
mentions magnesium.
The current goal within the EU is to cut GHG emissions by 80-95%
Life Cycle Analysis
by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.
Another tool of sustainability alongside the Circular Economy is theLife Cycle Analysis (LCA), and automotive companies, for example,
need to examine every step in their supply and value chain.
Toyota has set itself the target to completely eliminate all CO 2
emissions, including materials, parts and manufacturing, from thevehicle lifecycle, and to achieve zero CO2 emissions at all plants by
2050. This is the first OEM to include material and parts in a zerotarget. Toyota’s Challenge 2 “Life Cycle Zero CO2 Emissions
Challenge” aims to develop and expand the use of materials withlower CO2 emissions during production and will reduce the quantityof materials and number of parts used in a vehicle.
Volkswagen offers a different, but no less clearly expressed,
perspective, stating that: “aluminium reduces the weight of thevehicle, which can significantly reduce CO2 emissions during the usephase. However, production of aluminium is considerably moreenergy-intensive than production of steel, leading to higher CO2
emissions at the manufacturing stage….This is why small and midrange car bodies still tend to be made predominantly of steel. Thatsaid, it is perfectly possible to build a lightweight vehicle using steel.”
Almost all aluminium alloys contain Mg as an alloying element, on a
range from minor up to 6%, and although only one of many alloying
elements for the aluminium industry, it represents the single biggest
market for the magnesium industry itself. On the other hand,magnesium parts are in competition with aluminium parts when it
comes to lightweight material mix strategies. With concepts like
impact reporting, green procurement and sustainability reporting as
a whole, primary raw materials, such as magnesium and other minor

Within the sustainability context, it is crucial for new magnesium
primary projects in the pipeline in Europe to not only put their focus
on lower energy consumption across the different processes, butalso to secure green contracts based on renewable energy.
Many stakeholders are urging a reform of the ETS Europe, forexample Eurometaux’s position is that: “More predictability means
we can invest in our European facilities and innovate through research into low-carbon production methods.”
However a carbon cap & trade system is of importance not only
for pipeline primary magnesium projects in Europe, there is also theglobal dimension, determined as a result of Paris COP21:“An interconnected mechanism for sustainable development available to all who want to use it (both developed and developing
countries) was agreed.”

Image: Carbon Trust

19

The Carbon Impact Factor

CO2 emissions, including materials, parts and manufacturing, fromthe vehicle life-cycle, by means of:

The Carbon Impact Factor (CIF) stands for a family of financial
instruments to differentiate and reward Carbon Efficiency incommodity production. CIF has global scope and is intended to allow
market participants to incorporate the carbon efficiency of a
commodity into purchasing decisions and communicate associatedcarbon migration to stakeholders. CIF also enables OEMs, forexample, to demonstrate and communicate their efforts to reducecarbon intensity (risk) within their supply chain.
Despite that, the raw material producers are the major players andcontributors to OEMs’ efforts to reduce the carbon intensity within
the supply chain, but often there is no traceability of raw material
inputs beyond the primary processing point. As a result, different
raw material data are aggregated or compounded.

OEM industry and the raw material supply chain
For OEMs in automotive or in other magnesium-using industries
such as power tools, sustainability reporting is already a long usednon-financial reporting tool, and year after year ambitious
sustainability targets are set and measured against achievements ina transparent manner. With differing requirements for official
non-financial and in particular sustainability reporting, companies
will increasingly be forced to improve their transparency with a focus
on raw material sourcing. In recent years, categories such as“Conflict Minerals” or “Critical Raw Materials” are finding their way
into corporate sourcing policies and sustainability reporting
structures, with raw material supply, and its contribution to GHG
emissions becoming more important. However, there is seldoma traceability of raw material input beyond the primary processing
point or even from an early part of assembly.

Cutting total vehicle lifecycle CO2 emissions, including materials,
parts and manufacturing
Developing, designing and using low-CO2 materials; reducing
the amount of material and the number of parts used in order
to cut overall CO2 emissions involved in manufacturing materials
Using recycled bio-materials more widely; designing vehicles foreasy dis-assembly;
Other initiatives focusing on environment-conscious vehicle
designs

Every part used in a vehicle has its own CO2 footprint or heritage, andOEM fleets would first have to reach a cap of X tons of CO2 emissions
from the sum of the parts of its vehicles and manufacturing
processes. This cap would also decrease progressively with theultimate goal of zero emissions vehicles in all its “life-stages”, namelyplanning, production, use phase(s) and recycling.
Other industries are using this sort of information mainly to raiseawareness, for example the Global Water App or the Global Water
Footprint, where one can scan an EAN barcode and immediately see
how many litres of water were needed to produce the product.
However, if such a scheme included similar “emission” penalty
structures, then greater attention on raw materials would be
obvious, and zero or low CO2 emission raw materials would alreadybe given higher priority and preference from the planning phase.

CO2 emissions reduction targets
In Europe, CO2 emissions from new cars have gone down by almost
34% in less than two decades. At the same time, manufacturers havesignificantly reduced the environmental impact of manufacturing.
For instance, total CO2 emissions from car production were cut by
27.4% over the last decade. In the EU, cars are responsible foraround 12% of total CO2 emissions. EU legislation sets mandatory
emission reduction targets for new cars, which is the cornerstone of
the strategy to improve the fuel economy of cars sold on the European market. If the average CO2 emissions of a car manufacturer's
fleet exceed its limit value in any year from 2012, the manufacturer
has to pay an excess emissions premium for each car registered.
From 2019, the cost of this penalty will increase from a minimum of€5 for the first gram/km of exceedance to a flat rate of €95 fromthe first gram of exceedance onwards.
As a result of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), 13 North
American and European governments have announced that they will
strive to make all new passenger vehicles in their jurisdictions
zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by no later than 2050. This guideline
focusses on tail-pipe emissions, and applies to an entire OEM fleet.
The applicability to raw materials and their CO2 footprint will centre
around weight reduction.

CO2 heritage or footprint as a similar target as CO2 reduction
A similar mandatory legislation would be possible for the overall CO 2
footprint of a complete vehicle. The previously mentioned Toyota
Challenge 2 “Life Cycle Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge” would build
the base for such an approach: The aim is to completely eliminate all
20

Image: ShutterstockThe LCA CO2eq materials fightAs sustainability reporting has become more popular, the LCA tool
has also produced a high number of different studies for raw
materials, components and complete industries. This has primarily
been with the aim of beating the direct competition, sometimes
without contributing to the bigger picture of building a base forforward-looking planning, to offer not only engineers but also
project or procurement personnel a range of alternatives. LCA
related standards and projects fall under the direct responsibility of
the ISO/TC 207/SC 5 Secretariat. IMA published its “Life Cycle
Assessment of Magnesium Components in Vehicle Construction” infull compliance with this standard; however most of the LCA studies
looking at magnesium as an alternative or part of the lightweightmaterial mix are still using a reference to the China Pidgeon process
based on average GHG values up to 42 kg CO2eq for 1 kg of magnesium. A couple of studies still refer to the already closed Hydro
Becancour plant as a state-of-the-art process reference. The IMA
study already indicates a lower level for modern Chinese Pidgeon
plants down to 19,9 CO2eq when using the waste gas credits. The
Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)
released the Access Standard for Magnesium Industry and sets strict
conditions for companies with the purpose of accelerating industry
restructuring, enhancing environmental protection, regulating
investment and preventing redundant construction. But as China islacking a broadly available renewable energy base for powering thepresent diversified magnesium primary production, the CO2eq levelis not expected to decrease significantly. It will need new anddifferent capacity to come on-stream with a much lower CO2eq
value base.

High volume growth will require a global diversified primary
supply baseprocessing plants and recycling facilities around the globe to enable
the increasing demand of aluminium in the transport industry.
Hydro has just announced that its new pilot will produce primaryaluminium with a 15% reduction in energy consumption, to achieve
the lowest CO2 footprint.
But to enable the resulting supply chain with a lower CO2 footprint,
not only magnesium pipeline primary projects are needed, but alsomuch lower CAPEX Pidgeon plants able to provide a lower CO2eq byusing a raw material intake produced by renewable energy, andoffering shorter delivery distances to their customers. For bothaluminium and magnesium, pre-consumer and EoL recycling plays
an important role when completing the picture from production to
use-phase to recycling phase. With very stringent legislative
recycling targets, both materials will need to use their synergies andtheir inter-dependencies.
The concept of sustainability is much bigger than LCA, and it
should be noted that the selected current magnesium primary
producer and pipeline projects are clearly above the current China
average in HSE.

Outlook and conclusions
Today, a selected primary magnesium supply base already has
valuable advantages for providing a much more sustainable basefor their downstream value chain, and this will be significantly
improved by new primary pipeline projects. Magnesium lacks
stakeholder knowledge and transparency in many ways, such as anachievable CO2 footprint of primary production, pre-consumer
recycling, material flow analysis including EoL and the synergies tobe gained from being the most important alloying element for thealuminium industry.

Magnesium has a great opportunity to position itself in a moreHigh volume growth in automotive, for example, is only possible with prominent role, but also as an attractive sustainable alternative,
a globally spread raw material/semi-fabricated material supply
when raw materials, too, become an integrated part in the ambitious
base. Bigger aluminium players invest in primary technology,
emission targets of industry.
Sources:

http://ec.europa.eu/clima/publications/docs/factsheet_ets_en.pdf

Definitions of Sustainability; Sustainable Measures website: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/node/35

http://ec.europa.eu/clima/publications/docs/ets_handbook_en.pdf

Definitions of sustainable business and production; Sustainable Measures website: http://
www.sustainablemeasures.com/node/38

The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP): https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/partnership/about
Eurometaux: Our 5 priorities to strengthen the European ETS

G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines: https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/g4/Pages/default.aspx

http://ourmetalsfuture.eu/our-blog/five-practical-ways-to-strengthen-the-eu-ets/

SGX to make sustainability reporting mandatory: http://www.eco-business.com/news/sgx-make-sustainabilityreporting-mandatory/

Introducing the Carbon Impact Factor; A family of Financial Instruments to Differentiate and Reward Carbon
Efficiency in Commodity Production; report:

The why of sustainability reporting: http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/the-why-of-sustainability-reporting/

http://www.thejei.com/introducing-the-carbon-impact-factor-3/

It's the law: Big EU companies must report on sustainability: https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/04/17/eu-lawbig-companies-report-sustainability
The Aluminium Association: http://www.aluminum.org/sustainability/sustainability-reports

http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/supply_chain/mike_hower/
new_tool_measures_upstream_ghgs_global_supply_chains?
utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=schtweets&utm_campaign=social

JAGUAR LAND ROVER IS HONOURED WITH 2015 ‘SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT’ QUEEN’S AWARD: http://
www.jaguarlandrover.com/gl/en/responsible-business/performance-and-reporting/sustainabilityreport/2015/11/13/jlr-is-honoured/

Science based target; website: http://sciencebasedtargets.org/methods/
Science will help push companies towards a low-carbon future: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainablebusiness/2016/feb/23/ghg-emissions-paris-cop21-business-climate-change-low-carbon-targets-epa

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative: http://aluminium-stewardship.org

What Are Conflict Minerals: http://www.sourceintelligence.com/what-are-conflict-minerals/

Circular economy in Europe — Developing the knowledge base:Critical Raw Materials: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/specific-interest/critical/index_en.htm

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/circular-economy-in-europe

CRM Alliance: http://criticalrawmaterials.org/eu-and-us-need-uniform-list-of-critical-materials/

Views on Environmental Footprint; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FHPq0vPTu2M&index=1&list=PLIzqPSxpstTn0x2qLwXlNWbSS7Ka1w7Wl

Auto industry sets record straight on emissions, as it reaffirms long-term environmental commitment: http://
www.acea.be/press-releases/article/auto-industry-sets-record-straight-on-emissions-as-it-reaffirms-longterm-e

Policy background; Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
eussd/smgp/policy_footprint.htm
Aluminium International Today; Novelis/JLR alloy: http://www.aluminiumtoday.com/news/view/novelis-jlr-alloy

Penalty payments for excess emissions: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/vehicles/cars/
index_en.htm

Novelis' Recycled Aluminum Builds Jaguar's Lightest, Most Aerodynamic Sedan; Sustainable Brands website:
http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/chemistry_materials/sustainable_brands/
novelis_recycled_aluminum_builds_jaguars_light?
utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=schtweets&utm_campaign=social

International Alliance Sets Ambitious Goal for Zero-Emission Vehicles:

Recycling Waste World website: http://www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/news/novelis-works-with-jaguar-landrover-to-create-alloy-with-75-recycled-content/115251/

Were is water; Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1f-G6v3voAToyota; Life Cycle Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge: http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/report/er/pdf/
er15_01_en.pdf

http://ngtnews.com/international-alliance-sets-ambitious-goal-for-zero-emission-vehicles/
Toyota; https://www.toyota.ie/world-of-toyota/articles-news-events/2015/Toyota-Unveils-Bold-NewEnvironmental-Targets.json
Water Footprint Network; product gallery: http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/productgallery/

Volkswagen Group; Sustainability Report 2014:

Standards and projects under the direct responsibility of ISO/TC 207/SC 5 Secretariat: http://www.iso.org/iso/
iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_tc_browse.htm?commid=54854

http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/publications/2015/04/group-sustainabilityreport-2014.bin.html/binarystorageitem/file/Volkswagen_Sustainability_Report_2014.pdf

Hydro; Hydro to build the Karmøy technology pilot: http://www.hydro.com/en/Press-room/News/Archive/2016/
Hydro-to-build-the-Karmoy-technology-pilot/

Magnesium Lifecycle Analysis (LCA): http://www.intlmag.org/magnesiumsustainability/lifecycle.cfm

ESAN: Critical Raw Materials Seminar, Stuttgart 16.9.2015: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/critical-raw-materialsseminar-stuttgart-1692015-take-martin-tauber?trk=mp-reader-card

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS):

21

The Social
Value of Metals
Tamara Alliot, MMTA

An example of this is the recent outrage over BP’s sponsorship of the
London art gallery, Tate Modern. There seemed to be no acknowledgement of the number of oil industry products used in the building and the artworks themselves or in just in everyday life. The protesters seemed happy to benefit from plastic products, but only as
long as they were far removed from the oil industry itself.
Heavy production and manufacturing is now mostly done indeveloping countries, and far from the gaze of the public. So the link
between a smartphone and a huge hole in the ground is not
automatic. Dedicated supporters of the ‘Sharing Economy’ (Airbnb,

How do you measure the contribution of metals to

UBER etc.) fail to acknowledge that computers, mobile devices andservers are still needed to enable this movement, and therefore, bysociety? Do we ignore the negatives? How do you tell default, raw materials!
people about it?

Stating the obvious, calculating and communicating the ‘social value’

The mining and metals industry has an image problem. Dirty, corrupt of a metal is a complex business. How many people were employed
and exploitative are words that may spring to mind in certain parts of to move this material from mine to end-user? How much value does
the world. Energy intensive and polluting are probably used eventhe end product add to someone’s life? What energy/time/money

more widely. However, without the mining of ores and theirsaving does a particular product offer compared to an alternative…

subsequent processing into metals, we would have no buildings,

I think you will agree that there are no straightforward answers to be

infrastructure, consumer products (not to mention anything evenfound…except that the ‘quantity’ is sure to be considerable.

vaguely high-tech), we would literally still be stuck in the Stone Age.
It has been around for a while, but I heartily recommend this video
to emphasise the point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zZrfmPAvtV8

The marvellous world of minor metals
As Members and associates of the MMTA, we are lucky to be exposed
to an exceptionally diverse selection of information on metal

An important part of the work of the MMTA, and other metals

innovations and applications: in the Crucible, at the MMTA’s annual

associations, is to promote and inform industry participants, policy

conference (other conferences are available…) and from those whomakers and interested parties on how (minor) metals are essential

have worked in the industry for many years and are passionate

to modern technologies and how these resources can be better

about what they do.

mined and managed, reducing any detrimental impact on the planet.

The ages of history are categorised by the discovery of different

In a similar way to the disconnection between live animals and themetals and the new tools that were made possible as a result: themeat on our tables, the mining and processing of metals have

Iron Age, the Bronze Age and even now the ‘Minor Metal Age’

become completely disconnected from the high-tech (and low-tech) according to chemist and author John Emsley. Metal has enabled the
products used and relied upon by billions.

development and progress of humankind.
Metals are socio, economic and political power, with experts likeDavid Abraham analysing in detail these aspects in his book, ‘The
Elements of Power’.
Even as we speak, a new age of technology, driven by Tesla and its
vehicle and home batteries, is fully dependent on the reliable supply
of a minor metal, in this case lithium. New electric vehicles andbattery storage solutions to fix the problem of intermittent energy
supply from renewable energy sources are again completelydependent on a mined product.
Mining has traditionally provided many jobs, but often underhazardous conditions and increasingly located in developing
countries (due to the natural concentration of mineral deposits andperhaps due to the NIMBYism and stringent legislation in moredeveloped regions).
This not to say that the mining and metals industry should be given

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free rein to conduct themselves as they please due to theirfashioned industry does not tally well with clean, high tech

important applications. Minerals and ores must be extracted

innovations.

ethically and to the highest environmental and social standards.
Workers should be in a safe environment and appropriately
compensated, and then, when the area is exhausted, habitats
should be replenished and communities supported.

enable the modern world.
Ensure transparency and traceability in the supply chain andeducating the public on where their beloved products are

The industry should be subject to legislative pressure to keep
improving its activities, but conversely, regulations should not be so

Constant and consistent emphasis on exactly how metals

coming from, thereby building trust in the industry.

onerous that businesses are tempted to re-locate to less stringent

Celebrate new technologies and academic research.

parts of the world, a trend that unfortunately is all too common.



Engage and motivate students in science and engineering

In addition, transparency in the supply chain around conflictminerals and ethical sourcing with suitable scrutiny on end-users’
activities can be a positive, by helping consumers see metals andmining as something that affects and benefits them.
The Circular Economy concept, as previously discussed in thefrom an early age.
In conclusion, better connections need to be made between the‘industrial’ side and the finished products that they eventually
become. Then not forgetting to reuse and recycle end-of-life
products, and finally filling any demand gap with ethically mined

Crucible, is a positive concept that is suited to the metal supply

raw materials.

chain, but implementation cannot solve all the world’s ills,

Easy!

especially in the short term. Waste needs to be minimised andrecycling maximised, but there is still a gap between what can be
retrieved through these efforts and what is required to meet theneeds of a growing global population and an expanding middle
class with increasing levels of disposable income. This disparity will
still need to be met with primary production.

Further reading:What should be done to better get the message‘Role of mining in national economies’, ICMM, October 2012

across?

‘The Elements of Power’, David Abraham, 2016

Acknowledge that communicating the benefits of the mining‘Fifty minerals that changed the course of history’, Eric Chaline,

and metal industry to society is tough; dirty, heavy, old

2013, Apple Press

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 book the meeting room.

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