ISSN 2056-6735 (Online)

Review of MMTA’s Dublin Conference 2017
Automotive battery growth enters ludicrous mode
Non-ferrous industry vision 2050

Image Credit: Shutterstock

The magazine of the Minor Metals Trade Association

5th Edition 2017/May www.mmta.co.uk

1Credit Insurance
Challenges in a RisingMarket
The MMTA was interested to understand theapproaches of leading underwriters in the credit
insurance market: how they assess risk, and what
their strategies are to support those involved in theminor metals industry during this period of change.
Many will remember a period during and following thecrash when many lines of credit were pulled, somewith little notice and, along with new MMTA member,Marsh Ltd, we went to meet with representatives from

Image Source: Shutterstock

three underwriters: Euler Hermes, Atradius, and QBE. We were interested to learn whether they are interested in small markets, where
cover needs to be flexible enough to support long-term deals.
It would be difficult to disagree that 2016 was characterised by a series of unexpected events, including the Chinese stock market crash in
January, huge drops in oil prices in Q1, the Brexit vote, struggles in emerging markets and in November, the US election outcome.
The common theme from all the underwriters was the need for transparency, especially in small markets like minor metals. Although
their models are built on proximity to risk through local knowledge and expertise, they rely on conversations with clients to help them build
an informed picture. This means that ongoing and open conversations between client and insurer are key. Underwriters did experience
increased exposure in the metals sector during 2016, which was a hangover from 2015, when lots of risk reviews were undertaken, butthey were keen to stress that lessons had been learnt from the way they reacted during the crash of 2008.

“Insolvencies are set to increase in 2017 in 6 our of 10 countries worldwide, and remain above the pre-crisis
level in more than half of the countries studied.” (Euler Hermes)
There are certain markets, including some Middle Eastern countries, where financial information available can be patchy, and payment
delays lead to a more cautious approach. Some African markets are characterised by high levels of particularly short-term debt, and evenin some parts of Europe, unemployment and a fragile banking sector are key factors affecting cover. In Asia, China and Singapore, inparticular, continue to experience rising levels of insolvencies, with smaller increases in other markets. The impact of Chinese ownershipof overseas assets will be monitored over the coming years, particularly in stressed conditions. Despite the fiscal boost, a small increase in
insolvencies is anticipated in the USA, and also in Canada, due in part to weak exports. Brazil, in contrast continues to suffer from a hardrecession, and consequently double digit insolvencies are expected.
With many markets currently growing, and prices increasing even where volumes remain the same, a key question to underwriters waswhether limits can be increased, whether across the board or on a more targeted basis. The insurance industry recognises its importanceto the sector, and crucially that the cycles are different from the majors, resulting in different approaches to coverage. As an industry, it
has many more tools at its disposal than previously.
With the return of volatility to the markets, there is the chance to make money again. After several years of low inventory levels, stocks
are beginning to be built up again, and forward purchases are being made. There are more flexible policy options for credit insurance,
including hybrids between whole turnover and single risk, in order to cover all needs, wherever possible. During the meeting, we were able
to convey the importance to clients of limits that may remain unused, depending on whether business is won or not, in which case the limit
will fall away, so these ‘prospect limits’ should not be seen as true exposure until such time as they become live when business is won.
To make good decisions, typical information required by underwriters outside of accounts include details of key suppliers and customers.
Given the level of volatility and end-user demand, an understanding of contracts currently in place, order book details any committed
forward orders and price is key. To understand the company’s financial flexibility and scope for growth, and capacity to deal with external
shocks, full funding details are important. It is also important for the underwriter to have an understanding of the cashflow cycle, andidentify any pinch-points, as well as credit lines currently in place from banks. Our thanks go out to Marsh Ltd, Euler Hermes, Atradius,
QBE, Wogen Resources and AMC for their participation.
2

In Brief

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

New elements named
The recently discovered 118 element in the Periodic Table has been named after Yuri
Oganessian who leads the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at the Joint Institute of
Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. He is the only living person to have an element named
after him. The super-heavy atom is named Oganesson and has the symbol Og. The otherthree recently discovered elements are named as follows:

Nihonium and symbol Nh, for the element 113
Moscovium and symbol Mc, for the element 115
Tennessine and symbol Ts, for the element 117

Trade Credit Insurance Challenges

2

In Brief

3

Zinc-manganese car battery

4

Conference Review

6-7

Automotive Battery Growth

8-10

Letter from N. America

12

N-F Metals Industry 2050 Vision

13

In Brief

14

Waste silicon sawdust for lithium-ion battery anodes
Researchers have created a high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)
using waste silicon (Si) sawdust.

The MMTA promotes

It is energy-consuming and expensive to produce Si wafers with high purity (> 99.99%). On
top of that, some 50% of Si is actually discarded as industrial waste in the final cutting
process. This waste is about 90 thousand tons a year worldwide, an amount large enough tomeet the global demands for anode materials for LIBs.

essential elements that add

To make this happen, under the project of "Dynamic Alliance for Open Innovation Bridging
Human, Environment and Materials," a joint research team from Tohoku University and Osaka
University has developed a practical and mass-producible method of recycling the unwanted
Si sawdust into a high-performance anode material for LIBs.

The MMTA is the world's

The team found that the pulverization of the Si sawdust into Si nanoflakes (~16 nm inthickness) and the subsequent carbon coating are effective in fabricating high capacity anddurable LIBs. So far, a test half-cell has achieved a constant capacity of 1200 mAh/g over 800
cycles. This capacity is 3.3 times as large as that of conventional graphite (ca. 360 mAh/g).
The proposed method of material recycling is applicable for the mass production ofhigh-performance LIB anode materials at a reasonably low cost. The research team expects
that it will have great practical use in the battery industry.

quality, safety andenjoyment to our lives.

leading minor metals industry
organisation.

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

Disclaimer: The information and data contained inthis 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 no representation or warranty(express or implied) as to the accuracy, timeliness orcompleteness of the Material. The Material is provided for
information purposes only, but is not to be 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
first obtaining competent advice. The MMTA, its

Production process from silicon sawdust to lithium battery anode.

members, staff and consultants accept no liability
whatsoever (however that liability arises) for any direct,
indirect or consequential loss arising from any use of the

Source: Tohoku University
http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/silicon_sawdust_recycled_for_lithium.html

Renewables Rising
According to UN Environment and several other sources, renewable power generation fromwind, solar, biomass, geothermal, small-scale hydropower, marine energy and waste toenergy rose by 8% in 2016 to 138.5 gigawatts from 2015.

Material.
The Crucible contains links to third party websites andmaterial and information created and maintained byorganisations other than the MMTA. These links areprovided solely for your convenience. The MMTA does
not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, orcompleteness 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 throughit, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed,
accuracy of material, products or services offered orother information made available via the link.

3Power dense zinc-manganese power
unit as cheap as a car battery
A team of scientists working on analysing energy flows in prototype
zinc-manganese batteries have stumbled upon a new way to make thesepower cells much more reliable, with many more recharge cycles than the
humble lead-acid car battery, but costing around the same to produce. The
creators claim that the new battery could become an inexpensive, ecologicallysound alternative for storing energy from renewable sources and ahigh-density solution for storing excess energy from the power grid.

Once the team realised that something different may be going on in the
Zn-Mn unit they built, and that something may be that the Zn-Mn battery
acted more like a lead-acid one, they decided to bring out the big guns in theform of X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), andtransmission electron microscopy.
What they found was a complete surprise to them all. Tests showed that thebattery's manganese oxide positive anode was reversibly reacting with protons
from the water-based electrolyte in which it was immersed, to create the
new zinc hydroxyl sulphate material. As a result, the new material sooncoated the electrode, and the power flow and cycle capabilities were reduced
considerably.

Working at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Using their new-found knowledge, the team then went about finding ways to(PNNL), the researchers discovered a new way to approach the reliability
reduce (or even stop) this process. Realising that chemical conversions were
problems of zinc-manganese batteries, that were cheap and easy to makethe culprit, they simply figured out that the pace at which the manganese wasfrom abundant materials, but which would fail after only a few charge cycles.
being transformed could be reduced by upping the manganese concentrationin the electrolyte before applying power. (Interestingly, this is not too dissimilarYears of study on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and their electricalto the research on Lithium-air batteries that sees great improvements whencharacteristics had blinkered many researchers into believing that the
behaviour of lithium ions in those batteries would be replicated in the Zn-Mn their electrolyte mixes are altered to reduce electrode disintegration). And it
worked. The researchers claim that the tiny test battery achieved a storage
cells. To store and release energy in Li-ion cells, a process known ascapacity of 285 mAh per gram of manganese oxide over an extraordinary
Intercalation (where lithium ions moving in and out of microscopic spaces in
5,000 cycles, with 92 percent of its initial storage capacity retained.
between the atoms of the cell's two electrodes) occurs.
Much to the surprise of the PNNL team, however, a range of tests actually
showed that the device being analysed was undergoing a completely different
process. Where a Li-ion battery would move its ions around in the charging
process, the Zn-Mn version was actually being subject to a (hitherto unknown)reversible chemical reaction that transformed the active materials in theelectrodes into a completely different substance known as zinc hydroxyl
sulphate.

The researchers plan to carry on their analysis of how the zinc-manganeseoxide battery operates, in the hope of further increasing their knowledge ofthe reactions and to fiddle with the electrolyte concentrations to try and wring
out as much efficiency as possible.
The results of this research were published in the journal Nature Energy.
Source: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Responsible Sourcing
What is Responsible Sourcing?
Looking beyond cost, quality and consistent supply of materials to incorporate conflict minerals, greenhousegas emissions, human rights, corruption, and environmental impact, amongst other supply chain issues.
Demonstrating to your customers that you reach certain standards in these areas.
What is the MMTA doing?
Consolidating and simplifying information on Responsible Sourcing to create a straightforward and easy-tounderstand guide for MMTA Members, in particular SMEs.
How can you help?
Are you interested in helping us create a Responsible Sourcing Survey?
Does your company have a policy already? Would you be willing to share it with the MMTA?
(tamara@mmta.co.uk)
What do you think about Responsible Sourcing?
What does industry say?
We expect our suppliers to support us in being trusted to deliver excellence and help them to do so through our Global Supplier Code of Conduct. We expect our suppliers to be ethical, responsible and to fully comply with all applicablelaws and regulations. Rolls-Royce
Products made to have a positive impact. On the world and the people who make them. Apple4

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

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Call us on 01909 569930
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Website www.advancedalloys.co.uk
5

Engines, batteries and Innovation: A review of the MMTA’s Dublin Conference 2017
A record number of delegates joined the MMTA in Dublin for the International Minor Metals Conference last month. An outstanding
programme of speakers and a warm, convivial atmosphere made the premier event of the minor metals calendar particularly impressive
this year.
Kicking off the day in the Keynote spot, Andrea Sellafrom UCL and Laurence Knight from BBC World
guided the audience through “An amazing journeyamong the elements”. Garnering audience
participation and performing onstage experiments,
the duo took a slightly different view of a selectionof elements including tantalum, vanadium andplatinum.
Continuing proceedings, the first session focused on
developments in specialty metals, beginning with
“Developments in aero-engines and material choice”,
by Bill Reid, Strategic Sourcing Manager of Pratt &Whitney. Bill spoke about the positive outlook on
Laurence Knight and Andrea Sella performing their onstage experiments
future aircraft orders and the materials required tosupport these orders, as well as materials selection for efficiency and durability in engines.
“Arconic’s position in the minor metals world”, by Ben Franck, Director, Commercial Metals Procurement at Arconic (the new name of theengineered products business of the former Alcoa) looked at global mega trends such as urbanisation, the rising middle class and energy
efficiency, and their influence on Arconic’s future business in aerospace and automotive.
Markus Moll (SMR) provided “an update on specialty and stainless markets”, giving an engaging look at market trends. Markus predicts aprice rise for molybdenum during 2017.
Former MMTA Chairman, Guy Darby (Darton
Commodities), gave a brief report on developments
in Mufulira, the MMTA’s chosen charity. Guy talked
about the medical electives programme, the MMTA
Member funded anaesthetic machine in the local
hospital, future plans to help send more medical
students to Zambia, and, hopefully, some Zambian
medical students to undertake an elective in the UK.
The tantalum and supply chain session opened witha fascinating insight into INTEL’s supply chain andthe work they have done over the years to map andBill Reid, Pratt & Whitney
trace their material supplies and guarantee a ‘conflictfree’ microprocessor. Carolyn Duran, Director, Global Supply Management, talked about the efforts to ensure conflict free tantalum smelters and the challenges that we all face to broaden the scope of responsible supply to include new criteria such as child labour and environment, as well as to all materials and not just the 3Ts and gold.
Yuri Freeman, Director of Advanced Research, Kemet Electronics Corp, continued proceedings with a look at the development of
tantalum capacitors, the key to a myriad of modern technologies and enabling the digital revolution.
The first day concluded with topical discussion groups on ‘Rhenium, Hafnium, Zirconium’, ‘Supply Chain Issues’,’ and Battery Metals
Outlook for Lithium and Cobalt’. These groups were attended by around 100 delegates, with discussions held between participants over apint of Guinness or two!
The second day opened with the topical issue of ‘Batteries and storage’. Andy Miller, from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, kicked things
off with “The Lithium ion battery mega factories: Lithium, graphite and cobalt impact”. Andy believes that China will be the driver for raw
materials to fuel the lithium ion expansion. Rebecca Gordon of CRU Consulting looked at sources of raw materials for batteries and6stressed that cobalt demand could not be met without supplies from the DRC.
“Outlook for antimony”, by Geert Krekel, Managing Director of Campine, started the session on “Electronics metals: the future is bright”.
Geert looked at factors affecting the antimony market, such as technical performance, regulation and security of supply.
“Future applications for minor metals: Bi, In, Se, Ge & Ga”, by Dominic Boyle of Fortis Metals, offered a high level overview of new
applications for these metals, including developments in wrap-around TV screens, solar
panels, 5G mobile networks and 2D materials. The session ended with “China’s industry
development and market demand for gallium, selenium and tellurium”, by Feng
Juncong, from the CNIA (Chinese non-ferrous industry association), who offered a viewof future metals demand from a Chinese perspective.
Finishing up the programme, the speakers looked at new material opportunities.
“Rhenium – the role of a transition metal in a precious metals world”, by Michael Arndt, of
Heraeus Deutschland GmbH, examined the rise of rhenium and its applications in superalloys, space, medical and the petrochemical industry. Michael also discussed the key
criteria when managing rhenium supply and suppliers.

Yuri Freeman showing a tantalum capacitor

Oleg Anikin, Investment Director ICT Group of Companies & Board member of TriArk
Mining LLC wrapped up the Conference with “Tomtor — an alternative source of supply
for scandium and niobium”. Oleg looked at TriArk’s new mine in the North of Yakutia,
Russia. This is a huge deposit and very rich; as of April 2017, an average ton of ore
contained about 3,000 USD worth of niobium and REO (not accounting for Sc and otherpotential by-products). The mine is set to open in 2019, and the value of the ore makes
the logistical and climate issues worth overcoming.

The MMTA would like to thank our excellent line-up of speakers, as well as the generous sponsors of the conference. We were delighted towelcome back returning delegates and meet many new ones. We look forward to welcoming you to Montreal, Canada next year.

The MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference 2018
Organised by Metal Events Ltd

The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada 11-13 April

EXCELLENT MEMBERS’ AND NON-MEMBERS’EARLY-BIRD RATES AVAILABLE
Contact sales@metalevents.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities or to register.
7

Lithium supply reacts as

Lithium hydroxide to benefit from changing battery chemistryLi-ion battery cell assembly draws upon a complex supply chain oflargely unrelated product groups, within which nonferrous metals
and minerals play a major role. Important materials groups include
cathode materials, anode materials, electrolyte, separators andcurrent collectors. Li-ion batteries are normally specified bycathode chemistry. The alternative chemistries, and specific
The market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries was 92GWh in 2016, a
formulations within them, offer a very wide range of power, energy,
ten-fold increase from the 9GWh used a decade earlier. Growth hassafety and cost options appropriate to different applications.
been driven by an increase in the number of applications using
With the growing emphasis on xEV and ESS markets, demands onthem, as well as gains in market share versus other rechargeable
materials suppliers are changing. This is very evident in cathodebattery types. From the 1990s through to the early 2010s, thematerials, where the market has shifted away from high-cobalt LCO
market was predominantly in portable consumer electronics, withcathode typically used in portable electronics to nickel-richthe transition from mobile phones to smartphones, and the
products, primarily NMC but also NCA, which offer higher energy
introduction of tablets, increasing battery capacity per device
density per unit of mass and volume. Another xEV material, LFP,
despite lower unit sales growth as markets became saturated.
has been used extensively in China, but is now losing ground to NMC
More recently, growth has been accelerating as the automotive
and NCA although it remains favourable for eBus, HEV and ESS
market has started to electrify its powertrains. Automotive uses
absorbed almost 50% of Li-ion battery output in 2016, up from 27% applications. When cathode nickel content exceeds 50%, or
manufacturers use a sol-gel method of LFP cathode manufacture,in 2014 and 7% in 2012; a large jump in electric bus output in China
lithium hydroxide is the favoured lithium feedstock. Lithium
in 2015 being the main driver.
hydroxide will therefore outpace carbonate demand growth.
Transport to dictate Li-ion battery market through to 2026
Alongside the uncertainty over market growth rates, technologicalA strong government drive in many countries to increasedevelopments also present a risk to product demand in future.
penetration of hybrid, plug-in and full electric vehicles (xEVs) to
Li-ion technology is approaching the upper bounds of practicalmeet emissions objectives is underpinning xEV development.
energy density, with only a 20-30% improvement likely before the
Meanwhile falling battery costs, improved battery range andbuffer is hit. Current research and trends suggest that solid-statecharging infrastructure build-out is reducing vehicle costs andLi-ion batteries and lithium-sulphur batteries will be the next
boosting consumer interest. Tesla has made EVs the iPhone of the
improvements and might achieve mass commercialisation in theautomotive world, if not driving the market by volume thenmid-2020s. This will mean a shift in material requirements tocertainly in appeal. Roskill expects the positive trend in xEV sales tolithium metal and lithium sulphide, although solid-state retains a
increase and full electric vehicles to compete on price with current
mixed metal cathode. Lithium producers shouldn’t rest too easily
gasoline/diesel models in the early 2020s without incentives; theversus their cobalt or nickel counterparts, however, as an entirelytransportation market for Li-ion batteries in our baseline forecast
different battery technology could wipe lithium out, but as yet no
could therefore reach 405GWh in 2026, representing a 25%py
strong contenders on price/performance have emerged as viable
increase.
alternatives.
A similar rate of growth is forecast for energy storage systems
Rapid developments in the lithium supply chain incentivised by(ESS). Emissions objectives again play a role, but so does theprice increases
economics of electricity grid management where increased storage
The increase in lithium prices from end-2015, combined with a
may reduce other costs relating to generation and to the network.
growing realisation that vehicle electrification is finally happening
For the consumer, storage offers the opportunity to reduceen masse after several false starts, has caused a rush in companies
electricity costs and to benefit fully from self-generation. Roskill
staking, purchasing, evaluating or expanding lithium assets. An
forecasts an ESS market for Li-ion batteries of 13GWh in 2025, up
additional 370,000tpy LCE of lithium production capacity has beenfrom 2GWh in 2016, but its growth trajectory could change more
identified by Roskill as scheduled to come online at existing and newquickly as costs fall and renewable energy up-take rises.
operations by 2020, although it is unlikely all of this capacity
The accuracy of any automotive electrification forecast will depend
increase will be realised. Around 250,000tpy LCE of capacity
largely on how closely developments in xEVs match expectations.
(factoring utilisation rates and ramp-up) will be needed just to
Government resolve, cost and performance trends in batteries andsatisfy battery market growth alone at current projections. That is
the strategy of automotive companies are all important variables
double current capacity, and equivalent to two sizeable projects ahere. Compare President Trump’s stance to emissions targets
year. Any hiccups will reverberate through the supply chain, andversus China for example. Similar comments apply also to ESS,
consumers are not currently doing enough to ensure their future
another high growth market. High/low scenarios and the drivers
supply chain. Competition and shortages mean higher prices, and a
are therefore vital to assess the upside and downside risks.
8

automotive battery growthenters ludicrous mode

return to mid-single digit pricing is unlikely given the incentive
needed to get projects to production. Lithium developers havemistimed demand in the past, and it is the downside – andmemories of the supercycle peak - that is putting investors off
financing projects despite the equity boom.

Australia remains to be seen.
Longer-term lithium supply picture expected to change
considerably

Increased output by SQM and Orocobre in South America, coupledwith increased production from Talison in Australia and a rise in
Major existing lithium producers including SQM, Albemarle andChinese domestic output, moved the lithium market from a supply
Tianqi Lithium have all announced plans to increase output of
deficit in 2015 to marginal oversupply in 2016. Mine supply is likely
lithium. The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia, the largest
to exceed demand in 2017, but refined output will lag. The overalllithium hard-rock mine in the world - owned by Tianqi Lithium andsupply-demand balance for lithium is not representative of the
Albemarle - announced a scheduled capacity expansion fromindustry as a whole, however, as specific products are required by
95,000tpy LCE to 165,000tpy LCE by H2-2019, an increase of overlithium’s varied end-use applications, not least hydroxide for Li-ion
42%. The increased output is expected to supply Tianqi Lithium’sbattery cathodes much of which is still produced using lithium
new 24,000tpy lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia
carbonate feedstock. Simply put, in 2015 and 2016 there was notplanned for commissioning in 2018 and Albemarle’s newly-acquired
enough lithium of the required type to feed a battery industry that
Chinese conversion assets which are being expanded. In Southjumped in lithium demand by 75% in two years.
America, Albemarle announced plans to increase production
The diversity and availability of lithium supply is expected to, andcapacity at the Salar de Atacama operation by 45% to 80,000tpy
will have to, improve further towards the 2020s as a number of new
LCE, after receiving extended permits from the Chilean
government. SQM has also announced plans to increase processing lithium projects are advanced. The shift to Tier 2 assets, with more
complex resources, and the need to produce more hydroxide, hascapacity at the Salar de Carmen plant near Antofagasta, and iscontributing to the 50:50 joint venture it has with Lithium Americas catalysed the emergence of new extraction technologies. Leading
this charge is Nemaska Lithium in Canada using electrolysis ofin the Salar de Cauchari brine project due online in 2019.
mineral-derived sulphate solution to produce hydroxide, while
Existing and new producers have encountered issues with ramping
Enirgi, POSCO and Eramet in Argentina plan to use direct brine
up output of lithium compounds, meaning contingency for delays
extraction methods to produce lithium carbonate. Lepidolite isneeds to be factored in. In Argentina, Orocobre has reduced its
seeing increased attention, after Chinese converters proved in 2016
production targets for battery grade lithium compounds in H1 2017,
you can make a viable business processing it in a high pricealthough it plans to increase output to full capacity in the second
environment, with companies such as Lepidico pursuing lepidolite
half of the year. Lithium brine operations in China, based
conversion outside China.
predominantly in Qinghai province, have struggled with
Meanwhile Rio Tinto is pursuing evaluation of jadarite mining in
unfavourable brine chemistries, but the implementation of new
Serbia, a major resource but one that has not been tapped for its
processing methods by new owners in 2017 could resolve theselithium before. Risks remain, as no new technology, whether
problems and allow Chinese brine producers to increase output.
mineral- or brine- based, has yet achieved large scale.
Galaxy Resources and Quebec Lithium tried and failed to establish
alternative lithium supply from mineral sources in the early 2000s,
but are now trying again under new management.

With significant growth potential from automotive batteries, lithium
will remain an attractive market and see high levels of investment in
The emergence of new mineral producers in Australia during 2016 new production in coming years. The market is currently too small
and consolidated on the supply side to have been subject to thehas improved the availability of lithium feedstock to Chinese
mineral converters previously reliant on Talison. Galaxy Resources trading activity seen in other minor metals or chemicals, depending
and Neometals began shipments of lithium mineral concentrates to how you classify the product, but this may change as developers,
financiers and users seek to reduce price risk. The crossover withcustomers in China at end-2016, with approximately 45,000t LCE
cobalt and nickel in batteries, which are more highly traded
forecast to be shipped in 2017. The improved diversity of mineralcommodities, may also present an opportunity for the trading
concentrate supply into China is expected to alleviate supply-side
community to get involved. It is conceivable that lithium will alsopressure and contribute to an easing in Chinese domestic lithiumfeature on a global exchange in future, but preceeding that perhaps
prices. Chinese mineral converters continue to seek new raw
a benchmark pricing system.
material sources, signing supply contracts for unprocessed (direct
shipping / DSO) lithium ores from the Wodgina mine operated byContributors: Robert Baylis and David Merriman, Roskill
Mineral Resources and Pilbara’s planned Pilgangoora mine, both in Information Services, UK. Roskill’s Lithium: Global Industry, Markets
Australia. Mineral Resources intends to ship up to 50,000tpy LCE
and Outlook report was published in May 2017.
contained in unprocessed ores to China, though this will be reduced
Contact info@roskill.com forafter recovery rates in concentration and processing are applied.
more information.
Whether Ruifu, the buyer, can process DSO effectively given thechallenges Galaxy and Neometals have had in processing in
9The MMTA’s Inaugural Golf Day was hosted at the world renowned K Club andkindly sponsored by ICD Alloys & Metals LLC.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Texas Scramble
1st: Mr Steve Conlin, Mr Ian Machent,
Mr Mao Yuting, Mr Lin
2nd: Mr Rob Wallace, Mr Nick Cartwright,
Mr Tobias Strathmann, Mr John McDonald
3rd: Mr Duncan McVicar, Mr Colin Strang,
Mr Jim Brancho
Longest Drive: Mr Steve Conlin
Nearest The Pin: Mr Ian Hogg
Longest Putt: Mr Steven Whitehead

Computers Create Recipe
for Two New Magnetic
Materials
Material scientists have predicted and built two new magnetic
materials, atom-by-atom, using high-throughput computationalmodels. The success marks a new era for the large-scale design of
new magnetic materials at unprecedented speed.

Of those 248, only 22 materials showed a calculated magnetic
moment. The final cut dropped any materials with competingalternative structures too close for comfort, leaving a final 14
candidates to bring from theoretical model into the real world.
For the synthesis, Curtarolo and Oses turned to Stefano Sanvito,
Professor of Physics at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. After yearsof attempting to create four of the materials, Sanvito succeededwith two. Both were, as predicted, magnetic.

The first newly minted magnetic material was made of cobalt,
manganese and titanium (Co2MnTi). By comparing the measured
properties of similarly structured magnets, the researchers wereable to predict the new magnet’s properties with a high degree of
The relative scarcity of magnetic materials can make themaccuracy. Of particular note, they predicted the temperature atexpensive or difficult to obtain. The traditional process involves little which the new material lost its magnetism to be 940 K .
more than trial and error, as researchers produce different
The second material was a mixture of manganese, platinum andmolecular structures in the hope of finding one with magnetic
properties. Many high-performance magnets, however, are singular palladium (Mn2PtPd), which turned out to be an antiferromagnet,
meaning that its electrons are evenly divided in their alignments.
oddities among physical and chemical trends that defy intuition.
This leads the material to have no internal magnetic moment of its
In a new study, materials scientists from Duke University provide a own, but makes its electrons responsive to external magnetic fields.
shortcut in this process. They show the capability to predict
While this property doesn’t have many applications outside ofmagnetism in new materials through computer models that canscreen hundreds of thousands of candidates in short order. And, to magnetic field sensing, hard drives and Random Access Memory(RAM), these types of magnets are extremely difficult to predict.
prove it works, they’ve created two magnetic materials that have
Nevertheless, the group’s calculations for its various properties
never been seen before.
remained spot on.
Considering all the possible combinations and arrangements
available using 55 elements, the researchers had 236,115 potential
prototypes to choose from. To narrow the list down, theresearchers built each prototype atom-by-atom in a computationalmodel. By calculating how the atoms would likely interact and theenergy each structure would require, the list dwindled to 35,602
This work was supported by the Science Foundation of Ireland, the EU Commission
potentially stable compounds.
and the National Science Foundation (DGF1106401).
From there, the researchers conducted a more stringent test of
stability. Generally speaking, materials stabilize into thearrangement requiring the least amount of energy to maintain.
By checking each compound against other atomic arrangements
and throwing out those that would be beaten by their competition,
the list shrank to 248.
10

“Accelerated discovery of new magnets in the Heusler alloy family.” Stefano Sanvito,
Corey Oses, Junkai Xue, Anurag Tiwariy, Mario Zic, Thomas Archer, Pelin Tozman,
Munuswamy Venkatesan, J. Michael D. Coey, and Stefano Curtarolo. Science Advances, April 14, 2017. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602241

Source: Duke University

The ICD Group is pleased to announce the formation of ICD Europe Ltd, a European subsidiary of
the ICD Alloys & Metals division. Experts in the procurement and supply of Primary metals,
Superalloys and Minor metals.
Our purpose-built facility is based in the heart of the British steelmaking and metallurgy industry in Sheffield. ICD Europe isperfectly positioned to cater for customers in the UK and across Europe. The European facility will be headed up by ourManaging Director, Wayne Hawkes. He, along with his team, has many years of experience working closely with clients acrossvaried industrial sectors, including the aerospace, oil & gas, medical, petrochemical, automotive and electronics industries.

Our Products
Building on the ICD Group’s existing global supply chain and 65 years of experience in commodity trading, ICD Europe areresponsible for supplying a wide range of different specialised metal products, including:•

Nickel and Cobalt Superalloys•

Minor metals including Tantalum, Hafnium, Rhenium, Molybdenum, Tungsten & Niobium•

Ferroalloys•

Rare earth elements•

Intermediates and oxides.

Our Services
From our purpose-built facility, we can offer our clients a variety of different bespoke service packages including:•

Bar cutting•

Sorting, testing and segregation•

Processing of revert to vacuum standards•

Certified mutilation of engine run parts•

Precious metal reclamation•

Bespoke blends and melting•

Toll processing and recycling of Hafnium, Tantalum and Rhenium concentrates and revertConsignment supply solutions

Flexible and bespoke supply and pricing mechanisms to suit individual clients.

ICD are proud to promote and guarantee mine to market ethically sourced materials and areapproved through the CF2000 program.
Through our global supply chain and strategically located offices, we can offer a wide rangeof different products and services in addition to those listed above. If your requirement is notlisted, please get in touch and a member of our team would be happy to discuss what we
can offer.

www.icdeurope.com+44 (0) 1709 918 120

admin@icdalloys.com
11

LETTER FROM NORTH AMERICA
Dear Members
I seem always to start my letter with the weather here in New York.
So, why break with a tradition?

nitride performing. He’s interested in “how efficiently they [panels]
will perform.”6

At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, researchers have been doing some fascinating stuff
You’d hardly think it’s May it’s so chilly. But then, on the basis of how
with the semiconducting material chromium germanium telluride
it’s been since I last wrote, you’d really have no idea what season (or(Cr2Ge2Te6, or CGT).7 According to a Science Daily article describing
month) it is. Just the other week it was well over 80°F on thethe research: “The scientists found that a 2-D van der Waals crystal,
Tuesday and just above freezing on the Thursday. I fear this is how
part of a class of material whose atomically thin layers can be peeled
it’s going to be going forward.
off one by one with adhesive tape, possessed an intrinsic
This uncertainty about the weather mirrors somewhat the currently ferromagnetism.”8 This could have major implications in such areas
uncertainty about what many of President Trump’s policies actually as nanoscale memory, spintronic devices, and magnetic sensors.
are. I think that this is perhaps no more apparent than when it
For those members whom may have forgotten: “Van der Waals
comes to trade agreements. NAFTA: Stay in? Pull out? Revise? Whoforces, named after a Dutch scientist, refers to intermolecular forces
really knows? However, following fierce lobbying from lawmakers
of attraction that do not arise from the typical covalent or ionicand business leaders, it appears that pulling out of NAFTA anyway is,bonds that keep molecules intact. These quantum forces are used
now, off the cards – for the time being.
by geckos as they effortlessly scamper along walls and ceilings.
And, while TPP certainly looks dead, if Wilbur Ross, the U.S.
“Van der Waals crystals describe materials in which the 2-D layers
Commerce Secretary, is to be believed, TTIP does not appear to be.
are not connected to each other via traditional bonds, allowing themBut, when any negotiations with the EU might be resumed remains
to be easily exfoliated with tape. Research on graphene, the mostan unanswered question. What with Brexit negotiations coming up
well-known van der Waals material, earned the Nobel Prize inand German elections, it’s unlikely to be any time soon.
physics in 2010.”9Back at the end of March, I touched briefly on Dodd-Frank andWhat’s also really exciting and was noted by the researchers is thatconflict minerals. On April 7, as had been anticipated, the SEC’s“…a striking feature of van der Waals crystals is that they can be
Division of Corporation Finance issued an Updated Statement on theeasily combined with dissimilar materials without restrictions based
Conflict Minerals Rule. On the same day, SEC Acting Chairman
on structural or chemical compatibility.”
Piwowar published a separate Statement.1
Pretty “cool, eh?!”According to law firm Ropes & Gray: “The Statements will have little
impact on the calendar year 2016 traceability process at mostWith an exhortation to read the article I quote from (reference
registrants. In most cases, that process has been completed or is
below), I remain, with best wishes from New York
close to completion.” 2And: “For most registrants, the mostYours, as always
immediate considerations will be how much to say in the calendar
Tom Butcher , May 7th, 2017
year 2016 Form SD, and whether to include a separate Conflict
Minerals Report exhibit.”3©2017 Tom Butcher

Going forward, however, the fate of the rule remains very uncertain.
If the reaction of Kara Stein, the other SEC Commissioner and a
Democrat, is anything to go by, any changes to the rule will befought over fiercely. According to Ms Stein, Mr Piwowar’s overreach“unilaterally” undermined a rule “mandated by the Congress,
adopted by the commission, and reviewed by the courts.”4 We
shall see.

Tom Butcher is an Associate Director at Van Eck Associates Corporation("VanEck"). The views and opinions expressed herein are the personal viewsof Tom Butcher are not presented by or associated with VanEck or its
affiliated entities.

As always, I try to pass on to members anything interesting I find on
the scientific discovery front involving minor metals. Here are twoadvances that I found particularly interesting.

1

Ropes & Gray: SEC Issues Updated Statement on Conflict Minerals Rule (April 10, 2017), https://www.ropesgray.com/newsroom/alerts/2017/04/SEC-Issues-Updated-Statement-on-Conflict-MineralsRule.aspx
2

Ibid.

3

Ibid.

4

Over in the West, at Arizona State University, gallium, my oldfavorite, is back in the news, perhaps not so surprisingly in the fieldof solar cell technology. According to a research paper published byelectrical engineering Assistant Professor Yuji Zhao, gallium nitride
has exhibited great potential as a material with which to create “ahigh-performance solar cell capable of operating under extremely
high temperatures.”5 Professor Zhao has no doubts about gallium
12

The Wall Street Journal: Companies Get More Leeway on SEC ‘Conflict Minerals’ Rule, (April 10, 2017), https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-get-more-leeway-on-sec-conflict-minerals-rule-1491605276
5

Energy Harvesting Journal: Improving next-gen materials for solar cells (May 2, 2017), http://
www.energyharvestingjournal.com/articles/10955/improving-next-gen-materials-for-solar-cells
6

Ibid.

7

Science Daily: New atomically layered, thin magnet discovered (April 26, 2017), https://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2017/04/170426131026.htm
8

Ibid.

9

Ibid.

Non-ferrous Metals Manufacturing:

especially given that it is a price-taker. Proposed industry actions toaddress these challenges include defence measures against
protectionism, vulnerabilities and volatility, differentiating
non-ferrous metals products through quality, ethical and
The EU Commission’s recently published report, to which the MMTA environmental added value and geographical expansion. There is acontributed during 2016, outlines the objectives of the Commission call for policy to further develop trade policies favouring a levelto strengthen the EU’s industrial base towards 2050, and the role of playing field, including enhancing transparency in the global pricing
non-ferrous metals manufacturing in this vision. The EU aims forof raw materials, developing trade defence measures, and further
20% of GDP to be from ‘industry’ by 2010.
negotiating free trade agreement to offset protectionism. European
standards are a key component to address the identified challenges,
The European non-ferrous metals manufacturing industry is an
by not only setting them but also promoting them at international
important and strategic sector directly employing 500 000 people
level and ensuring their harmonised enforcement.
and supplying products for numerous crucial downstream industrial
sectors, such as transport, energy production, construction and(2) Innovation The non-ferrous metals industry faces someaeronautics, to name a few. Its investment horizon spans overchallenges to reach the innovation component of its vision: it is a
decades and is thus particularly in need of adopting a long-term
relatively old industry and only indirectly meets end-consumers’
strategic perspective. The objectives are as follows: firstly, it aims to needs. It also faces challenges related to investment leakages anddefine a long-term vision for the non-ferrous metals
the difficulty to roll out innovations. Embracing a culture ofmanufacturing industry: it proposes indeed an aspirational,
innovation to better understand end-consumers’ needs, thinking
achievable and clear view of where the sector aims to be in 2050.
systematically across the value chain, collaborating with smaller
Secondly, the goal is to propose concrete actions that the industry
players in the downstream sectors, and using communication anditself, but also policy, research and other stakeholders can take tomarketing tools all contribute to the industry’s efforts to develop
address the challenges faced by the sector on its path towards
and sell innovative solutions. Technological innovations are also
the vision.
crucial: they include, for instance, hybrid solutions combining
non-ferrous metals and new composites, smart materials with
Methodology The study used a highly participatory, qualitativeembedded intelligence, new processes allowing flexible
methodology: two workshops were organised and gathered
manufacturing and big data analysis. Policy has a central role to play
representatives of the non-ferrous metals industry, researchby providing a long-term innovation and investment-friendly
institutions, policymakers, trade unions and stakeholders fromsupport to the industry, not only at the early stages of the research
upstream and downstream sectors—including the MMTA. The
and development process. There is also a call for more flexible andIndustrial Landscape Vision, in particular, was used as a tool toadaptable regulations regarding materials classification to allow a
prompt future, systemic thinking among the workshop participants.
quicker deployment of innovations.
Virtually all insights generated in this report come from thecollective interactive discussions that took place during these two(3) Resources The vision’s objectives of closing resources loops in aworkshops, along with a thorough literature review.
circular economy perspective, of increasing energy efficiency, andof relying on renewable energy sources, face several challenges.
Key conclusions The vision statement states that, by 2050, theRegarding circularity, they relate to the proper collection,
non-ferrous metals manufacturing industry aims at being a valued
disassembly and reprocessing of scrap in line with the highest
and trusted world leader in delivering sustainable, innovative andenvironmental and social standards. The issues around energy
competitive non-ferrous metals based solutions traded globally. It
encompass, among others, the intermittent nature of renewables
intends to be a key player in closing resources loops, in acting andand the difficulty to store energy in a cost-effective way. To address
setting the bar for the highest social, environmental and ethicalthe circularity challenges, the industry should take full control ofstandards, in meeting evolving customer and societal needs whilematerials throughout the value chain by developing, for instance,bringing social benefits through investments in Europe and top
take-back schemes and toll contracts. The industry ought to raise
environmental performance, increasingly relying on renewablepublic awareness regarding the value of secondary materials andsources of energy and retaining and developing essential skills andthe need to sort and return them. Regarding energy, reducing its
knowhow. Four clusters of challenges were identified as relevantcosts, investing in energy efficiency, acting as a virtual battery or as
for the sector to reach its vision, along with appropriate actions toa grid stabiliser and pressuring for competitive prices foraddress them:renewables are other possible actions. Technology is crucial to(1) Trade and competition The lack of a level-playing field, mainly improve recycling processes and to trace and capture secondary
due to different environmental and social standards and different
raw materials. As to policy actions, deploying the full potential of theenergy costs across regions, is a crucial challenge for the sector toEnergy Union, understanding and incentivising consumer’s
be a world leader. For some non-ferrous metals, the sector’s
behaviour for scrap sorting and collection, and adopting risk-based
dependence on import of raw materials is also problematic,

Vision for 2050 and Actions Needed13rather than hazard-based regulations are among the actions
proposed.

To retain and develop its essential skills and know-how, theindustry faces similar image challenges that hamper its ability to
attract qualified skills, as well as specific challenges regarding the(4) Business integrity and skills In order to be a trusted worldtransmission and the up-skilling of knowledge. The sector itself
leader, the non-ferrous metals sector faces challenges regarding its
may improve pay and working conditions and promote gender
image, hampered by the sometimes poor social and environment
equality to attract talent. Internal trainings, joint initiatives withconditions of primary raw materials production in third countries,
vocational educational institutions and joint research and doctoral
the perceived negative environmental impacts of the industry andprogrammes with universities are also identified as tools to
the misconceived scarcity of non-ferrous metals. The industry
preserve and develop skills.
needs to invest further in raw materials traceability andtransparency, in internal audit and external accreditation, as well as
in communication efforts to showcase success stories, raise
Source: European Commission
awareness of the importance of the sector and re-brand it. Policy
The full report: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/euractions can also contribute by developing global standards onscientific-and-technical-research-reports/non-ferrous-metalsresponsible sourcing and identifying responsible suppliers,
manufacturing-vision-2050-and-actions-needed
supporting fair trade, and mapping areas of conflict materials.

In Brief
Armour for Vatican guard
Austrian blacksmiths who produce ceremonial suits of armour for the Vatican's Swiss
Guards are close to the end of their current deal to do so, and say supplying the suits will
not now be an issue for many years to come.
One of the drawbacks of the Swiss Guards' medieval uniforms is that the craftsmanshipneeded to make them is disappearing.
Faced with an aged stock in need of replacement, they turned to brothers Johann andGeorg Schmidberger - the fifth generation to run the family blacksmith's business in theAustrian town of Molln - to provide them with 80 suits of armour covering the torso andarms.
The brothers have produced 10 of the suits a year since 2009, meaning the deal will becompleted this year, and new replacements will not be needed for quite some time.
"I think it won't be an issue for another couple of hundred years," Johann said.
The brothers' workshop, where all kinds of hammers are piled high near a furnace andanvil, will continue to supply swords, locks, gates and other items to customers including
theatres and private collectors.

A Swiss Guard’s ceremonial helmetAnd, for the coming years at least, he and his brother will produce the Guards' distinctive crested helmets, he said.

Organo-metal compound attacks cancer
The University of Warwick, UK, has for the first time targeted and destroyed cancer cells using an organo-metal compound. The
compound is organo-osmium FY26, which kills cancer cells by locating and attacking their weakest part. The researchers looked at theeffect of the compound in ovarian cancer cells. Metals which are produced naturally by the body, such as zinc and calcium, moved
around the cells. Calcium is believed to help the FY26 to achieve an optimal position for attacking the cancer.


FY26 is 50x more active than metal drugs used in current cancer treatments



Unprecedented minute detail of cancer cells seen with nano-imaging at European Synchotron
Source: University of Warwick

14

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