Japan's search for alternative rare earth supply
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Transcript of Japan's search for alternative rare earth supply
Japan’s search for alternative rare earths supply
Yasushi WatanabeInstitute for Geo-Resources and Environment, AIST
6th International Rare Earths Conference@ 9-11 November 2010, Hong Kong, China
Rare earths exported from China
2006 2007 2008 2009 09/08Amount (t) 65,907 54,421 54,959 43,918 -20%
to Japan 28,344 28,144 28,423 14,933 -47%share 43% 52% 52% 34%
Amount (M$) 477.039 763.781 686.771 310.089 -55%to Japan 315.047 538.590 456.993 141.281 -69%
share 66% 71% 67% 46%
Industrial Rare Metals (2010), based on the report by China and the West The Maritime Customs Service
Rare earths (including chlorides) imported to Japan2006 2007 2008 2009 Share (%)
China (t)(M\)
3607237637
3681363981
3145151060
1601814507
8367
France (t)(M\)
20791675
12452086
17122480
1373944
7.14.3
USA (t)(M\)
1771029
273631
131240
275251
1.41.2
CIS+Estonia (t)(M\)
2249739
1736883
1220985
609769
3.23.5
India (t)(M\)
76087
54197
Total (t)(M\)
4195543096
4056469938
3532758505
1929021743
100100
Industrial Rare Metals (2010)
Rare earth availability in Japan
• Decreased export quotasby China
• Practical stop of rare earth import from China in late September.
Strategy for stable supply of rare earths
• Development of new supply sources outside China
• Recycle
– Not recycled from the final products yet
– Started projects of REE recycling from magnets, NiHbattery, phosphor, etc. with the financial support by the government.
• Reduction
• Substitution
Sourcing challenges• Joint enterprises in China
– Showa Denko, Hitachi, Santoku• Development of resources
outside China– Dong Pao (Vietnam), Tailing of
uranium deposits (Kazakhstan)• Investment for the REE projects
– Pitinga (Brazil), Indian placer (India)• Grass-root exploration by
JOGMEC– Ytterby (Canada), Benson (USA),
Laocai (Vietnam), Mabel Creek (Australia), etc.
REE projects that include Japanese companiesName Country REE Company Plan Planned
production
Orissa India Th, LREE Toyota Corp. 2012 production 4500t
Dong Pao
Vietnam LREE Vinacomin, Toyota Corp, Sojitu
2012 production 7000t
Ulba Kazakhstan HREE Kazatomprom, Sumitomo Corp
2011 production? 3000t
Pitinga Brazil HREE Neo Material Technology, Mitsubishi Corp.
Country Project Partner Start Term (year)
Interest(%)
REE Australia Roxby Downs Minotaur Exploration, etc. 2007.09 3 51
REE Vietnam Laocai Vietnam Gov. 2007.10 3
REE Australia Mabel Creek Minotaur Exploration 2008.07 3 51
REE USA Benson Gold Canyon 2009.09 1 80
REE Canada Ytterby Midland Exploration 2010.02 3 50
Joint exploration projects by JOGMEC
Dong Pao project in Vietnam
• 2000-2001 Explored by MMAJ (JOGMEC) and Vimico
• Reserves: [email protected]% REO (3% cutoff) in No.3 orebody
• 2009 Toyota Corp, Sojitu, Vinacominagreed joint development
• Ore minerals: bastnasite, synchysite, monazite (minor)
Fujii et al. (2010)
A rare earth composition at Dong PaoMJVD7-54 (ppm) MJVD7-54 (%)
La 28,500 33.7
Ce 41,200 48.7
Pr 3,040 3.59
Nd 9,580 11.3
Sm 909 1.07
Eu 200 0.24
Gd 454 0.54
Tb 48.8 0.06
Dy 102.5 0.12
Ho 17.1 0.02
Er 73.7 0.09
Tm 3.7 0.00
Yb 18.1 0.02
Lu 1.8 0.00
Y 469 0.55
Total (REO) 10.16% 100.00
LREE 10.02% 98.6
HREE 0.14% 1.4
JICA & MMAJ (2003) Fujii et al. (2010)
Development plan of Dong Pao deposit
• Target: high grade saprolitic ore (a half of REE)
Fujii et al. (2010)
Reduction
• Dy-saving NdFeB magnet project (2007-2012)– Enhancement of residual
flux density (Br) & coercive force (Hc) by formation of Dy-rich thin shell (20% Dy reduction) and grain-size reduction (30% Dy reduction)
– Possibility to reduce 50% Dy in NdFeB magnet
Br: degree of magnetic forceHc: heat resistance
Grain Boundary Diffusion Alloying by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (Minowa, 2009)
REE concentration in stratabound Mn oresFerromanganese ore Manganese ore
Element Content (average)Fe2O3 37.19 % 2.93 %MnO 29.08 % 50.11 %
ΣREE 1816 ppm 60 ppmPr 97 ppm 2 ppmNd 392 ppm 9 ppmSm 88 ppm 2 ppmTb 15 ppm 0.4 ppmDy 80 ppm 2 ppmTh 13 ppm 1.6 ppmU 3 ppm 3 ppm
• wakefieldite-(Nd) : NdVO4
• Occur with hematite and caryopilite(Mn,Mg)3Si3O5(OH)4
Summary• Japan has consumed about 1/4-1/5 of rare earths annually
produced in the world.
• Rare earths have used for polishing materials, magnet materials, LaNiH batteries, catalysts, glass, etc. Automobile industry is a major end user of rare earths in Japan.
• Japanese government and private sectors look for rare earth sources outside China because of the significant decrease of export quotas and unstable export by China.
• A few projects (Vietnam, India, Kazakhstan) plan to produce rareearths within a couple of years, which may supply the amount more than half of the Japanese consumption, coupled with the supply from the Lynas Mount Weld and Molycorp Mountain Pass projects.
• Reduction of Dy used in FeNdB magnet will be enhanced. Timely, compact, inexpensive projects for HREE are desired.