The Crucible: January 2018
‘In the long run…’ Demand, supply, and the economics of resource availability
The mining industry has a problem, bemoaned Codelco chairman Oscar Landerretche…
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Siemens 3D print turbine blades for the first time.
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Powder Metallurgy (PM) is a continually and rapidly evolving technology embracing most metallic and alloy materials, and a wide variety of shapes. PM is a highly developed method of manufacturing…
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CrucibleThe Crucible: November 2016A Simple and Innovative way to Treat Industrial Effluents from the Production of Alumina
Red mud field at the French alumina producer Alteo, in Gardanne, France. Due to the growing level of environmental awareness in the last few decades, legislation about industrial waste disposal… -
Aviation design and material selection had been relatively stagnant since the 1930s. With the advent of the Boeing 247 in 1933 – followed shortly after by the Douglas DC-3 –… -
The history of gallium nitride tells of a low-efficiency, impure, problematic compound. A relatively modern material, gallium was discovered in 1875 and instantly slotted into a gap in Mendeleev’s periodic…
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Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, and Tsinghua University, China have come up with a possible solution to the problem with electrodes in rechargeable batteries. An electrode…
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Advanced microphones using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are capable of supporting new user interactions with “smart” devices, like chatting with Apple’s Siri, or Amazon’s Alexa. The key to achieving the high…
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2017 Antimony Day: Because we are stronger together…
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Update regarding new arbitration rates
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Minor Metals and ApplicationsThe Crucible: January 2015Beryllium Helps European Space Agency Mission Soft Land its Philae Probe on Comet
By BeST | Published: November 18, 2014 Beryllium helps the European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta mission soft-land its Philae probe on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12th , 2014 – the… -
The human body often rejects foreign objects introduced. This mechanism is designed to protect the body from damage, but is very problematic for medical devices implanted to help a patient.… -
CrucibleThe Crucible: October 2016BMW Unveils Plans to Use New & Used Electric Vehicle Batteries for Homes & Businesses
BMW plans to turn new and used electric vehicle batteries into a system that can store energy for homes and businesses. The product—recently unveiled in Montreal, marks the company’s entry…
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13 months on from the historic vote to leave the European Union, the plan for the Great British exit is somewhat unclear. The second round of negotiations began in mid-July…
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Theresa May will travel to Florence to make a major speech on Brexit on Friday 22 September. She is expected to give European dignitaries her view on the state of…
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The British public has spoken and the long and winding road to leaving the EU has started. Those at the helm have the challenge of steering the nation to a prosperous new future outside the confines of the EU while avoiding the many pitfalls. Whatever your personal feeling on the matter, the political, social and economic uncertainty that has been unleased makes for truly interesting times.
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The European Commission’s second annual raw materials week in Brussels took place during the first week of November. Over the week, various meetings and conferences were held on material issues…
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Sticking to a 2°C global temperature rise (compared to pre-industrial levels) is not looking likely. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has come into force, and the USA has announced…
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The Crucible: April 2017Charging your phone with a cooking pot? New material could make it possible
Devices that generate electricity through the thermoelectric effect – that is, the conversion of differences in temperature to an electric voltage – are showing up in everything from clothing to paint, and they… -
By China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association - Lithium Branch (CNIA-Li) Since new energy industry was the key support orientation in the “Made in China 2025”National Strategy and during the 13th-Five-Year… -
This past year, horse racing regulators worldwide, most recently in Australia, have turned their attention to an unexpected substance: cobalt. Every horse needs this important element to survive, but some… -
Colin Williams, who died on 30th June 2015, was an influential figure in the field of lesser known metals and minerals in London, an individual subscriber to the LME at…
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In the midst of the USA EPA’s new ruling on management of power station coal ashes in December, a report by Lucid Insight outlines the opportunities and challenges for metal…
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By Ian Weekes, Crowe, Clarke, Whitehill EU announces agreement to curb the trade in Conflict Minerals The EU has announced that agreement has been reached in negotiations between the Commission,… -
Possible implications of the proposed new harmonised classification (CLH) for cobalt metal, which includes a proposal for lowering the specific concentration limit (SCL) for cobalt to 0.01% (from the generic…
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The MMTA interviews Jeremy Wrathall of Cornish Lithium
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By John Campbell, Emeritus Professor of Casting Technology, Department of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, UK When liquid metals are poured, this innocent action separates the liquid into splashes… -
The MMTA was interested to understand the approaches of leading underwriters in the credit insurance market…
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On 22 September 2015 the CRM Alliance, of which the MMTA is an active member, came together in Brussels to participate in a luncheon event sponsored by CRM Alliance member,… -
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On 15 July, Maurits Bruggink, as Secretary General of the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, was given the opportunity to make a substantial presentation to the TTIP Stakeholder meeting. The meeting…
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I admit that I sometimes choose topics for Crucible articles based on their ‘wow’ factor, but one topic that has cropped up repeatedly since I originally covered it is deep-sea… -
Maria Cox discusses her recent visit to China, where she met members old and new.
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Adapted from an article published on phys.org When exposed to air, luminescent 2D material, molybdenum telluride (MoTe2), appears to decompose within a couple days, losing its optical contrast and becoming…
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As of the 25th of April, El Salvador has become the first nation in the world to ban metal mining…
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Rob Holden, NHS Elective, July 2017 Having grown up in the post-industrial landscape of Northern England, the idea of mines for me had always conjured up images of tough men…
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The Crucible: May 2017Engines, batteries and Innovation: A review of the MMTA’s Dublin Conference 2017
An overview of the MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference 2017
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The Crucible: June 2015English Jurisdiction Clause – Effective in Restraining Court Proceedings Outside England
In a recent case involving an exclusive jurisdiction clause found in warehouse receipts/certificates, the English court upheld the enforceability of that clause to restrain court proceedings that had been brought… -
Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany have developed an environmentally-friendly red light flare popular in fireworks displays and among Soldiers who…
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December 11th marked the anniversary of China’s 15 years as a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It was expected, by China, that they would finally attain “market-economy status”… -
Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) are increasingly being referred to in political policy. The MMTA and the IMA (International Magnesium Association) organised a seminar in September kindly hosted by the German… -
The Crucible: January 2015European Conflict Minerals Legislation – Where is this leading for EU business?
By Maria Cox, MMTA It would be very easy to think that because the EU’s proposed conflict minerals regulation has been announced as voluntary, it won’t have much of an… -
Electrolysis, splitting water molecules with electricity, is the cleanest way to obtain hydrogen, a clean and renewable fuel. Now, researchers at ICIQ and URV, led by Prof. José Ramón Galán-Mascarós,…
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I look back on my 9 years as a Director of the MMTA with much satisfaction. In that time the MMTA has changed from a small, largely UK-focussed, traders’ association…
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Drops of liquid metal can be grown into snowflake shapes, researchers have discovered. When a team of scientists from the North Carolina State University, US, tried to use a droplet…
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Gallium has been found to have rather interesting new use. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have created a reversible adhesive from the metal that displays glue-like properties. Potential applications… -
The Crucible: Summer 2017
Germanium extracted from ore by injecting organic molecules and shaking milling jars
McGill University, Montreal, announces that a team of chemists has developed a way to process metals with organic molecules, instead of chlorine and hydrochloric acid, to help purify germanium. The…
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MMTA members Indium Corporation and RJH Trading played a key role at the GKZ-MMTA Forum, Europe – From Mine to Market, held in Dresden, Germany 28/29 September 2017. The Conference…
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The MMTA is delighted to announce that it has signed a cooperation agreement with German Geokompetenzzentrum (GKZ) in Frieberg. GKZ is a triple helix network of industry, research, and administration… -
Adapted from an article in New Scientist, 29 August 2015 The meltwater beneath Greenland’s glaciers is an important source of the silicon that some plankton need to build their glassy… -
China’s big electric vehicle push is about to get even bigger: the country is planning to end the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles entirely, with regulators working currently on a…
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China’s accession to the WTO (World Trade Organization) in 2001 saw them being recognised as a non-market economy in transition, meaning that unless Chinese firms could prove they were operating… -
Graphene has been around now for some 12 years. For those in the minor metals industry, should it be seen as a friend or a foe – a substitute or complementary? This short piece will look at graphene: what it is and just some of what it does. And how it may be regarded by those involved in minor metals.
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Molybdenum disulfide is an inorganic compound composed of molybdenum and sulfur. Its chemical formula is MoS2 The use of molybdenum disulfide dates back hundreds of years. (see box on page… -
A team of researchers of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), in collaboration with a colleague from RIKEN (Institute for Physical and Chemical Research in Japan), has provided theoretical proof…
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Harvard University scientists claimed in the journal Science to have produced metallic hydrogen, a substance never before seen on earth…
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*See this month’s article “Gallium as a simple, reversible adhesive”
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Heat is one of the worst enemies of electronics. It can disrupt functionality and cause electronic components to age more quickly, or even destroy them. Now Fraunhofer researchers have developed…
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An overview and history
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Ground-breaking research from the University of Surrey and Augmented Optics Ltd., in collaboration with the University of Bristol, has developed potentially transformational technology which could revolutionise the capabilities of appliances… -
Members and associates of the MMTA were welcomed to the offices of Holman Fenwick Willan on 26th May for a breakfast seminar on Counterparty Insolvency, Warehouse Fraud and a short…
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Members of the MMTA will be aware of our Association’s link with the copperbelt town of Mufulira, the place where copper has been mined since the 1930s. It is a… -
There is an international effort being currently undertaken to redefine the kilogram. This measure is currently based on a solid cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy locked in a vault at the… -
2017 had scarcely begun before London residents were informed that air pollution limits for the entire year had been breached in several areas. Just 5 days in to the New… -
We are pleased to invite you and your colleagues to a two-day import/export training course on operational issues and procedures. We would ask you to forward this email to all… -
This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 17 April 2017 The UK Government is seeking views on their approach to building a modern industrial strategy, with the aim of delivering an…
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A special type of small sulfur-rich protein, metallothioneins, have an extraordinary capability for binding heavy metals. An international team of scientists has now discovered that the marine common periwinkle, which…
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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…
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Surfaces that have been coated with rare earth oxides develop water-repelling properties only after contact with air
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The Indian Government intends to install circa 100 gigawatts of solar power across the country by 2022, which is a 33-fold rise from today’s level. According to the UN’s Special…
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Biomimicry: an innovative approach to design, systems and structures that is inspired by nature. By focussing on time-tested biological structures, we can often – but, as you will see, not…
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So, summer appears finally to have come here in New York. What better prelude could we have had than the excellent International Minor Metals Conference in Toronto at the end… -
Dear Members After a really very pleasant summer here in New York, fall seems finally to have come. At least the trees on my street are shedding leaves. Or maybe…
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Dear Members Rather than dwell on just how horrible the markets have been since I last wrote you, I thought I’d have a quick look back over 2014 and see…
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The latest update from Tom Butcher
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Dear Members I seem always to start my letter with the weather here in New York. So, why break with a tradition? You’d hardly think it’s May it’s so chilly.…
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I cannot believe that we’re just heading into the second quarter of this year. As soon as we’d celebrated the first day of spring here in New York, it dropped…
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Dear Members Much has happened since I wrote you on November 8th last year: The old year has passed and we are now getting stuck in to 2017; Mariah Carey’s… -
Dear Members By the time you read this letter, we will have a new president here in the U.S. However, as I write it this bright, crisp, afternoon here in… -
By Tom Butcher, Independent Consultant Dear Members I trust all of you have had excellent summers, whether away on holiday in parts far (near), or at home. We’ve had a…
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The Crucible: February 2017LETTER FROM NORTH AMERICA — with a view of Afghanistan’s resource landscape
Dear Members Ah, the joys of living in New York! When I first came over here to live in the early ‘90s, you knew that winter was actually going to… -
Dear Members Albeit just past the middle of August, we are currently having a wonderful summer here in New York. OK, so there was the most terrific thunderstorm last night…
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The latest update from Tom Butcher.
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Dear Members Autumn is/appears to be here at last. Whilst last week we had a number of quite hot days, this week (bar a couple of days too) was gorgeous.…
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Dear Members November 5th – both Guy Fawkes Day and the New York Marathon. You will, of course, guess which is more important here. Town has a number of visitors.…
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Dear Members A very Happy New Year to MMTA members everywhere. As many of you may have read, here in New Year we are currently experiencing something called a “bombogenesis…
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The Crucible: June 2017LETTER FROM NORTH AMERICA: “Strategic” Mineral Resources in Russia – Part 1 ?
With some Observations on “Strategic” Mineral Resources in Russia
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The Crucible: Summer 2017LETTER FROM NORTH AMERICA: With some Observations on “Strategic” Mineral Resources in Russia – Part 2 ?
Dear Members From being “quite pleasant” last month, the weather is now really quite unpleasant. For all those of you who may not know much about New York’s meteorological conditions…
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Researchers at Duke University have developed tiny nanoparticles that help convert carbon dioxide into methane using only ultraviolet light as an energy source…
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Mechanical engineers Carmel Majidi and James Wissman of the Soft Machines Lab at Carnegie Mellon University have been looking at new ways to create electronics that are not just digitally…
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The market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries was 92GWh in 2016, a ten-fold increase from the 9GWh used a decade earlier…
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Aluminium batteries have been in the news recently as a viable challenger to lithium-ion cells. Researchers from Stanford University have created a fast-charging, inexpensive, long-lasting and flexible aluminium battery. The… -
My second candidate for Tea with the MMTA, Nick French, arrives – dare I say it – looking remarkably relaxed. It is not six months since this metal merchant with… -
CrucibleThe Crucible: October 2016Lutetium’s Potential New Application in a New Gen of Computing Devices
By James Walsh, MMTA Scientists have developed a new material that has the potential to lead to a new generation of computing devices, by packing in more power while at… -
Magnesium, magnesium, magnesium!
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Sustainability, a strategy employed to address risk and simultaneously create opportunity from that risk, is not a new concept. At a business level, it ensures that an entity can function… -
Defence spending has been big news recently. President Trump announced that he wanted to increase US defence funding to record levels, and the UK announced in last year’s budget that… -
A thin vapour cloud in front of a liquid metal may be the solution to protecting the reactor walls of future fusion power plants from the extreme heat fluxes encountered.…
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Researchers at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new drug delivery technique using biodegradable liquid metal nanodroplets to target…
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There’s a known rule-breaker among materials, and a new discovery by an international team of scientists adds more evidence to back up the metal’s nonconformist reputation. According to a new… -
A short history of mining in Ireland
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The MMTA’s Sustainability Working Group (SWG) has produced a new report on how minor metals contribute to sustainable road transport. The full document can be found on the MMTA website…
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By Dr K. Dessai, Independent Consultant in Metals, Mining and Energy Minor metals are used in the commonly-known applications of aerospace, automotive and energy generation, to name a few, and… -
The visit began with a highly enjoyable networking evening in Hamburg’s harbour area, where around 25 MMTA and VDM members met for dinner and conversation, washed down with plenty of…
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Following an animated networking reception, CPM’s Mu Li offered an outlook on planned policy shifts that are expected to affect commodity markets, and what these shifts could mean for both the global economy and for commodities.
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The MMTA is delighted to announce that we have recently joined the Non-ferrous Alliance (NFA) as part of our goal to increase the MMTA’s interconnectivity with relevant industry associations and…
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During my recent visit to China to participate in the CNIA Global Minor Metals Forum (China), I was delighted to be invited to visit the Hunan Jinwang Bismuth Industrial Co… -
News in brief for February 2017
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Baby Boom! There have been several MMTA babies over the summer: congratulations to Tamara Alliot (MMTA), David Gussack (MMTA Board and Exotech), Gregory Buchheit (MMTA Board and F.W. Hempel) and…
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We would like to thank the press Members for their time and detailed replies to questions submitted by fellow MMTA Members. Responses were received (in alphabetical order) from Argus Media,… -
The MMTA is pleased to welcome Australian Zirconia as a new member. Australian Zirconia Limited (AZL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian multi commodity mining company, Alkane Resources…
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BOMET Recycling Inc. is a non-ferrous scrap metal wholesale recycling company, with its main facility located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.
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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)…
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Euromet is a trading company for non-ferrous metals, bulk ferro-alloys, noble alloys and pig-iron.
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We offer you a range of personal, business, corporate and investment banking services in the UK and Europe. We’re a wholly owned subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd, an award-winning global bank.
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Founded in 1964, Ireland Alloys Limited specialises in buying, processing and selling complex alloys as well as providing services and solutions to all of your revert management and secure disposal problems.
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PGS is a London Metal Exchange (LME) certified operator and provides a complete range of logistics services to the base metal Industry (Producers, Traders, Brokers, Banks). To ensure high quality standards,…
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Our Mission: We made the decision many years ago to centralize our focus on Tungsten and the alloys that are part of its family. Our mission is to be the…
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Marsh is a global leader in insurance broking and risk management. In more than 130 countries, our experts help clients to anticipate, quantify, and more fully understand the range of…
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MFG is a competent supplier of raw materials to foundries, steel works, alloy producers, refractory producers and other industries. As a producer and trader, we offer a broad product portfolio…
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The MMTA is pleased to welcome AVAS Trading as a New Member. AVAS’s main traded commodity is Tungsten, with forms ranging from Ores and Concentrates, through Ferro-Tungsten and Chemicals (APT/AMT/YTO/BTO)…
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The Crucible: January 2017MMTA Welcomes New Partner Association – Tantalum-Niobium International Study Centre
The Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (T.I.C.) was established in 1973 to support, develop and promote the global tantalum and niobium industries. Today the T.I.C. has around 90 member companies from 25…
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Special Metals is the world’s leading innovator and manufacturer of nickel-based superalloys. With over 100 years of history and experience in the nickel industry, we have the processes and knowhow…
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Trader Tophet Corporation has been serving the specialty metals industry for over 20 years with a specific focus on vacuum melters. We are committed to sourcing and consistently delivering high… -
中国和俄罗斯在他们拥有和缺乏哪些战略自然资源（包括天然气，石油，钴，镍，锂和其他金属）问题上的讨论一直十分谨慎
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MMTA新闻概述
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A method for making hydrogen from methane without emitting carbon dioxide could be a new route to a sustainable future for fossil fuels. Chemists and engineers at the University of…
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A novel molybdenum-coated catalyst that can efficiently split water in an acidic electrolytes has been developed by researchers at KAUST. This could help with efficient production of hydrogen. When burned,…
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By David Clayton, Medical Student Medical electives are an important and hugely exciting part of the medical curriculum – offering a chance to observe and get engaged in healthcare systems… -
In the following piece, doctors Josh Hulman and Helen Wanstall talk about their time at Ronald Ross General Hospital, the main hospital in Mufulira, so named after the clinician who…
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The Crucible: October 2017
NASA tests first 3-D printed rocket engine part made with two different alloys
Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, tested NASA’s first 3-D printed rocket engine prototype part made of two different metal alloys through an innovative advanced manufacturing…
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Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and Qatar University have developed a new metal alloy that has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other existing metallic material. This…
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By James Walsh, MMTA The search for new hard materials is often challenging, but the vast application potential is a strong incentive to continue this pursuit. One recent success lies with… -
We have now updated our Members’ Directory to include all products our members trade, not just minor metals. You will see an ‘Other Metals Available’ list at the bottom of…
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Within the space of a few short years, the face of the global niobium industry, particularly ferroniobium, has changed almost out of recognition. As recently as 2011, the Brazilian niobium… -
An overview of the EU Commission’s recently published report.
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As the first Chinese-built passenger jetliner, the C919 completed its first public flight test last month, the “Made in China” commercial plane and its technology has been the subject of…
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By Gina Evangelidis, MMTA The technique founded by Gunther Von Hagens in 1978, allows biological specimens to be prepared for research, teaching and demonstration purposes. My most recent encounter with… -
CrucibleThe Crucible: May 2016Potential aerospace applications for new niobium-base master alloy in magnesium-aluminium and aluminium-silicon alloys.
Scientists at Brunel University, London have discovered that a patented niobium-base master alloy improves grain refinement in aluminium-containing magnesium alloys. That isn’t all — it also offers ‘significant advantages’ over titanium in aluminium-silicon alloys.
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A new material with a higher melting point than any other known substance has potentially been discovered by scientists. The alloy, which is a combination of hafnium, carbon and nitrogen,… -
A team of scientists working on analysing energy flows in prototype zinc-manganese batteries have stumbled upon a new way to make these power cells much more reliable, with many more… -
At temperatures as hot as the sun and under pressures over a million times atmospheric pressure, the metal molybdenum melts. Tracking the molten history of the metal clarified the melting…
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Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich have now presented a process that, for the first time ever, allows this so-called lithium plating process to…
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The Himalayan leucogranite is unique, with petrological characteristics similar to well-known rare-metal granites worldwide. However, relatively few studies on the rare-metal mineralization in this region have been published. Research groups…
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The MMTA welcomed over 200 guests to the impressive ballroom of 1 Great George Street during LME week for good food and great company. Dr Robin Gleek was able to…
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This one-day forum will tackle any last-minute questions you and your team may have as the deadline for REACH registration approaches in June 2018. Are you prepared? What do you need to do? How have things changed since 2010?
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Rice University scientists have created a rechargeable lithium metal battery with three times the capacity of commercial lithium-ion batteries by resolving something that has long stumped researchers: the dendrite problem.… -
An overview of key points from the recent REACH forum, hosted by Metal Events
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The major use of rhodium is in catalytic converters for cars (80-85%), where it reduces nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases. In brief, exhaust gases contain three harmful pollutants, created by… -
RIP, Michael Edward ‘Sam’ Quick 14th December 1938 – 9th January 2015 was last modified: October 3rd, 2016 by Maria Cox
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The second largest Blast Furnace in Europe, and the associated coke ovens, have now been shut down – for the second time in less than 10 years. Could this be… -
Adapted from Teletronic, the television history site The conditions for the birth of television can be traced back to 1817, when the Swedish scientist Berzelius discovered selenium, a metalloid in… -
Chemists at Trinity College, Dublin have invented self-healing luminescent gels with potential uses in science, medicine and electronics. Through the interaction between individual molecules (ligands) and europium and terbium ions,… -
In the world of smart phones, smart watches and even smart central heating, why not take a look at smart alloys? In particular shape memory alloys (SMAs). SMAs ‘remember’ their… -
Solar Impulse-2, the solar powered plane, is on its 5th leg on the first ever round-the-world solar powered flight. This super lightweight plane is the brain child of businessman and… -
By Jack Swindon, RJH Trading Ltd
The potential resources from space mining are limitless. Scientists have already confirmed that water is present on the moon. NASA says that frozen water in the dark recesses of polar craters can be extracted and split into hydrogen, which can be used for rocket fuel as well as conversion into oxygen for breathing…
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Littering and fly tipping are the bane of many a community. But already, the human race has managed to pollute space with numerous pieces of junk. Currently, an estimated 100… -
Inspired by the 'liquid wire' technique in spider webs, scientists have created novel composite fibres which extend like a solid and compress like a liquid. Pulling on a sticky thread… -
It may not be as catchy as chains and weak links, but physicists and engineers know “a material is only as strong as its weakest grain boundary.” OK, that’s not…
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Platinum, titanium and brass can now be made to repel water so strongly that water actually bounces away from their surfaces. US Physicists reported in the Journal of Applied Physics… -
By Professor Lenny Koh, University of Sheffield 51 industry and academic experts gathered in the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in July 2014, exploring supply chain challenges during a half-day… -
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Technology metals, which include today’s strategic metals, incorporate minor metals and rare earth elements (REEs), and are present in almost every advanced electronic device and system. Without their contributions, major… -
A monolayer version of the element tellurium, tellurene, is the latest member of the 2D materials family, which includes graphene, but also more obscure compounds such as antimonene. Tellurene is…
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Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s first electric semi-truck last week that also included the surprise reveal of a new Tesla sports car. The new Roadster emerged from the back of one…
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On July 30th, the grand opening ceremony of Tesla’s Gigafactory based outside Sparks, Nevada took place. Although nowhere near full planned capacity, this is a major step for Tesla moving…
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An in-depth look at the Chinese Automotive Market
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A Q & A session with author, David Abraham I recently had the opportunity to speak with David Abraham about his book “The Elements of Power - Gadgets, Guns, and…
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By Jung-ui Sul, Sidley Austin LLP The EU’s modernized customs rules came into effect in May 2016. We reported on the key changes in the new rules in the March…
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The internet of Things (IoT) has become a well recognised phrase over the last few years, and for good reason. It’s about connecting devices over the internet and letting them talk to us, applications and each other.
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By Tamara Alliot, MMTA The Ancient Greeks spoke of a metal that could be found in the mythical city of Atlantis, and earlier this month this metal known as orichalcum… -
Members and non-members of the MMTA joined a great line-up of speakers in Toronto last month for the MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference. A vibrant and rapidly growing city, Toronto… -
By Gina Evangelidis In the event that you are bored of the periodic table - unlikely, I know - Bodycote have published a brilliantly fun fictional edition on their website.… -
In its vote on 20th May, the European Parliament overturned both the European Commission’s proposal as well as the recent vote of the International Trade Committee. The Commission originally proposed… -
The incandescent lightbulb has been making homes safer and brighter for over 100 years. After centuries using fires, candles, oil lamps and gas, the invention of the incandescent lightbulb transformed… -
NEW MMTA Guide Available Here A beginner’s guide to help you get started What’s Responsible Sourcing? Responsible Sourcing is when a business looks at not only the cost, quality and…
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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…
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A heavy metal oxide has been spotted for the first time in transmission spectra from a gaseous ‘hot Jupiter’ planet outside our solar system. The planet, WASP-19b, is as big…
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In recent years, titanium has caught the eye of golf club manufacturers and amazingly, fire investigators. Yes, titanium clubs have the potential to spark upon striking rocks, creating one of… -
Perhaps the recent history of hafnium answers the question - ‘What are minor metal merchants for?’ A minor metals trader of the 1970s, it is fair to say, could safely… -
How Will You Explain the Impact of the New Law to Your CEO? Chemical registration in the U.S. just got more complicated and expensive. President Obama recently signed into law…
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On 4 August 2015, the EU and Vietnam reached an agreement in principle for a free trade deal. Negotiations for an ambitious and comprehensive FTA [Free Trade Agreement] were launched…
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As microchips become ever smaller, and therefore faster, the shrinking size of their copper interconnects leads to increased electrical resistivity at the nanoscale. Finding a solution to this impending technical…
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An update on upcoming legislation, courtesy of CRM Alliance.
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By Ines Van Lierde, EuroAlliages EU duties on silicon originating in the People’s Republic of China have been renewed this year for an additional 5 years, as detailed in the…
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This is how the UK Government intends to convert EU law into British Law. However, not all EU environmental law can simply be copied in this manner, including REACH.
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ECC: an overview of the key updates
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By Tamara Alliot, MMTA The Executive Team was kindly invited to MMTA member company Less Common Metals (LCM) just before Christmas. Ian Higgins, the Managing Director welcomed us to their… -
A visit to Vital Materials
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Ton Schox, from Cunningham Lindsey, gives us a glimpse into the world of warehouse inspections!
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By Maria Cox, MMTA Ever since the defeated French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte’s death in 1821, on the island of St. Helena, where he lived in exile for nearly six years,… -
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Researchers have created a high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries using waste silicon sawdust.
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Geologists estimate that the Earth’s core is around 5,700 K (5,427° C, 9,800° F), around the same temperature as the surface of the Sun. So, how is it that the…
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Dr O’Donoghue gives an insight into gas turbine blades
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Source: Yale University, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Center for Industrial Ecology As I mentioned in my last “Letter from North America”, Thomas Graedel, Professor of Industrial Ecology at… -
The Crucible: September 2015Yale University: Criticality Consortium – Spring Meeting 2015: Conclusion
I should like to conclude my review of the spring meeting of the Yale Criticality Consortium (the Consortium), organized by the Center for Industrial Ecology at the university’s School of… -
2016年中国市场汽车销量达到2300万辆，占全球乘用车销量的30％左右，这使得中国成为迄今为止最大的汽车市场。汽车行业被认为是中国经济的主要支柱之一
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涂料是重要的，远远超过燃气轮机。例如，包括应用雷达吸收材料，热保护材料，红外和声纳吸收材料的项目。还有高技术应用，如航天飞机主机燃油泵，需要整个热保护涂层。
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能源部劳伦斯伯克利分校国家实验室（伯克利实验室）科学家和加利福尼亚大学伯克利分校的科学家的新研究指出，处于金属态的二氧化钒的电子在导电时几乎不导热，打破了经典物理定律威德曼-弗朗兹（Wiedemann-Franz）定律。
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国防开支近来一直是热点议题。特朗普总统宣布以创历史纪录的水平来增加美国的国防经费支出，英国在去年的预算中宣布将在6年内首次增加国防支出。欧盟基本百分之百依赖于39种原材料中的19种材料的进口。中国是以上三分之一的原材料的主要生产国。
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在我们太阳系外的气态行星“热木星”的透射光谱中，首次发现重金属氧化物。
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通过使用镁基金属植入物的可生物降解涂层可以更有效地修复骨折.
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2016年，电动汽车需求增长36％。随着技术的提升，锂离子电池的性能也使得电动汽车逐渐步入主流。随着特斯拉“超级工厂”对现有的锂资源的消耗，满足原材料的需求已成为当前主要的挑战。智利，加拿大和澳大利亚一直是锂的主要供应国。今天，我们发现英国也将有机会成为锂的供应国之一。
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2017 年 9 月 13 日，欧盟委员会发布人们期待已久的 2017 关键原材料 (CRM) 清单的通讯，新清单将 27 种原材料纳入
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紧接上一期，MMTA北美社区Tom Butcher在本期的Crucible中就俄罗斯的战略金属铍,镓和锂的情况作出分析
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2017年3月16日，欧洲议会以558票对17票通过了一项欧盟条例草案。该草案旨在履行国际义务，防止侵犯人权和通过锡、钽、钨、金的贸易向武装集团提供资金来源。
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欧盟委员会最近发布的报告（MMTA在2016年参与了本报告的制定）概述了委员会加强欧盟2050年工业基础的目标以及有色金属制造在这一愿景中的作用。
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在新总统就职典礼的前夕，50名MMTA会员和朋友相聚在MMTA的纽约年度晚宴上。我们看到，无论是在对新年头几周的业务，还是对新政方面的期待，大家总体还是持乐观情绪。
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通过热电效应（即温度差异与电压的转换）产生电力的设备普遍应用于从服装到涂料行业中。但它们在能源产出同时进行回收热量方面却还有很长的路要走。如今，犹他州大学的研究人员已经开发出一种不含有毒化学物质但仍然可以在日常应用中发挥有效作用且价格合理的热电材料。
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铌产业发展到目前只有几十年。在过去十年左右，这个产业发生了巨大变化，而在未来，铌产业可能将面临更多的转变。
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近日，莱斯大学的研究人员们宣布了一种新型锂基可充电电池原型，其容量可达到当前锂离子电池的三倍。该技术有望成为锂金属电池的一项新进展，特别是解决掉了严重影响电池寿命、甚至造成短路起火爆炸危险的“树突”问题（由于锂沉积导致）。
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2016年，近50％的锂离子电池被用到了自动汽车行业中，高于2014年的27％和2012年的7％。 2015年中国电动客车产量大幅上涨也成为了主要动力。
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通常的粘合剂在连接两个物体后，若使粘合的两个物体强行分开，可能出现材料的损坏或出现残渣。金属镓熔点温度与室温相近，具有可逆性，可以使得物体分开后竟和粘合前一样！
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阿富汗矿产资源格局分析
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目前，英国仅有5000多台风力发电机组，丹麦等国家通过风力发电获取三分之一的能源，但这项技术是如何运作的？