From the category archives:

Permanent Magnets

China’s Rare Earth Metals

by Admin November 17, 2009

by PAUL MASON – BBC WORLD NEWS / NEWSNIGHT – Published: Nov 17, 2009
LONDON – Above ground, factories in China are churning out goods to be shipped around the world, below it, lies rare earth metals which are crucial to nearly every 21st century technology.
Paul Mason reports on a rare commodity in hot demand [features [...]

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Industry Experts Join Magnet Materials Supply Chain Association To Advance Domestic Rare Earth Issues

by Admin October 28, 2009

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The United States Magnet Materials Association (“USMMA”) today announced that three industry experts – Jack Lifton, Stan Trout, and Tony Morcos – have joined the association as members of its newly-created advisory board.

Jack Lifton of Jack Lifton, LLC is an independent consultant, focusing on the sourcing of nonferrous strategic metals. His work includes exploration, [...]

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As Hybrid Cars Gobble Rare Metals, Shortage Looms

by Admin August 31, 2009

By STEVE GORMAN – REUTERS – Published: Aug 31, 2009
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods.
That makes Toyota’s market-leading gasoline-electric hybrid car and [...]

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Windpower To Overtake Nuclear in China By 2020?

by Jack Lifton May 7, 2009

According to a report earlier this week, China may have 100 GW of wind power capacity by 2020, more than three times the 30 GW the government set as a target 18 months ago. If China commits to producing this capacity by 2020, it will place this goal in its next two five-year plans as part [...]

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Wind Power 2009 May Just Be Hot Air Unless Supply Chain Issues For Critical Natural Resources Are Addressed Now

by Jack Lifton April 29, 2009

During May 4-7, 2009 in the windy city of Chicago, there will be held a conference entitled “Wind Power 2009.” I have some comments to make and I am issuing a simple challenge to the organizers and participants in this conference. Investors in mining pay special attention.
My comment is this: Are you, the wind [...]

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Braking Wind: Where’s The Neodymium Going To Come From?

by Jack Lifton March 4, 2009

It has been estimated that to build the latest and most efficient one megawatt (MW) capacity wind turbine-powered electric generator, requires one metric ton (t) of the rare earth metal neodymium for use in a permanent magnet made from the alloy neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B). The total amount of neodymium produced annually in the USA is at [...]

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