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Rare Earth Elements

A New Approach to the Nexus of Supply, Demand and Use: Exemplified along the Use of Neodymium in Permanent Magnets

  • Book
  • © 2013

Overview

Authors:
  1. Volker Zepf

    1. , Coordinator Graduate Programme, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany

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  • Nominated as an outstanding Ph.D. thesis by the Augsburg University, Germany
  • Provides a brief but comprehensive data source analysis which reveals shortcomings of the present data accuracy around REE
  • Calls for further research and offers a new approach when talking about sustainable use of rare earth elements
  • Provides a short description and explanation for the Chinese way of doing politics
  • Shows that the notion which recent headlines might have implied - that hard disk drives, mobile phones, E-mobility and wind energy account for the bulk part of rare earth elements use - is wrong
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Springer Theses (Springer Theses)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 1-10

  3. Rare Earth Elements: What and Where They Are

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 11-39

  4. The Way to the Chinese Predominance: A Key for Understanding the REE Issue

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 41-49

  5. Numbers About Rare Earth Elements in the (Scientific) Literature

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 51-64

  6. Rare Earth Elements in the Magnets Application Field

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 65-71

  7. Scales and Relations: Analysis of REPM Use with Emphasis on the Years from 2000 to 2010

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 73-122

  8. The Geography of the REE

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 123-125

  9. Conclusion: The REE and the Real Problem

    • Volker Zepf
    Pages 127-131

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 133-157
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Keywords

About this book

This thesis deals with Rare Earth Elements (REE), especially with neodymium used in permanent magnets, from a very scientific basis by providing basic research data. Despite the fact that REE are newsworthy and very important elements for a considerable bandwidth of todays’ technologies, accompanied by the monopolistic supply-situation and Chinese politics, there are inexplicable data discrepancies about REE which have been recognized frequently but usually have not been addressed accordingly. So this analysis started with the hypothesis that the four application areas, namely computer hard disk drives (HDD), mobile phones, wind turbines and e-mobility (automotive traction), account for about 80% of the global annual neodymium-demand. The research methodology was a laboratory analysis of the composition of used magnets for HDDs and mobile phones and a literature and official report analysis of wind turbine and automotive neodymium use. The result was amazing and the hypothesis had to be withdrawn as these four areas only account for about 20% of neodymium use. This result raises some questions concerning actual use and thus potential recycling options.

Authors and Affiliations

  • , Coordinator Graduate Programme, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany

    Volker Zepf

About the author

Dr. Volker Zepf finished his professional military career in 2008 and studied Geography, Geology, Environmental Business Studies and Resource Strategy at Augsburg University. After his studies he joined Prof. Dr. Armin Reller's team at the Chair of Resource Strategy. His research foci are resource-geographical aspects of metals in general and rare earth elements and metals needed for renewable energies in particular.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Rare Earth Elements

  • Book Subtitle: A New Approach to the Nexus of Supply, Demand and Use: Exemplified along the Use of Neodymium in Permanent Magnets

  • Authors: Volker Zepf

  • Series Title: Springer Theses

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35458-8

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental Science, Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-642-35457-1Published: 06 March 2013

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-44010-6Published: 07 March 2015

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-35458-8Published: 14 February 2013

  • Series ISSN: 2190-5053

  • Series E-ISSN: 2190-5061

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIV, 157

  • Number of Illustrations: 12 b/w illustrations, 20 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Mineral Resources, Economic Geography, Emerging Markets/Globalization, Metallic Materials

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