BECKlog

Until recently I was unaware that it called. "Spice metals" are. This refers to some very seldom occurring metallic elements that are not irreplaceable particularly for modern technologies, including key technologies and because of their special properties (yet) to stay. There are over 50 of these rare metal elements.

Each computer chip is now "seasoned" with up to 40 of these elements, a radio telephone having up to 25 of these fine metals such. Coltran example. Diodes, (LED lights) come without gallium or indium, depending on the color, nothing. Also, flat panel displays, light displays (displays), but also CIS solar cells require indium.

As commodity experts, z. B. Armin Reller of the University of Augsburg stress, threaten some of these metals seasoning to be scarce or their recovery extremely expensive. Nevertheless, they are still subject to some strong price fluctuations. So in 2007 increased the prices of platinum and palladium at a record level, with palladium, however, formed a production surplus - the prices went promptly back down.

Platinum is known to be used for auto catalysts, however - if you wanted to equip all cars of this world so that there would be problems because the metal must be won more complex. So ten tons of ore must be processed to extract one ounce of platinum. A part of the platinum from the catalyst is blown into the air and disposed of in our lungs, another part never gets into the recycling, but remains somewhere in old cars, only 30-40 percent of the catalysts are given to recycling companies.

Similarly unfortunate the situation in terms of recycling for computers, technical toys, iPods, lamps, etc. Many old computers end up about on huge stockpiles in third world countries, where not a possibility to extract their valuable, sometimes toxic substances and recycle.

The spice metal indium (cell phones, LCD screens, CIS solar cells) appears to be developing a problem case, the resources are supposed to only last 5-10 years (see chart above pdf file).
The mobile phone industry is growing completely unrestrained and gets over the solar cell producers in a competitive situation for this commodity. The financially stronger of the two industries is probably ultimately decide the race, unless alternatives are found. Indium is used together with a "conductive metal", zinc, degraded, for which it is not so great use. Recently, a new indium deposit was surprisingly discovered in the Ore Mountains!

90% of all rare metals are currently being supplied by China. The rest is Russia, Africa, Brazil and other countries, but to a much lesser extent.

Against this background it becomes clear why fluorescent companies such as Osram and Philips have outsourced their production to China. They would otherwise be at the mercy of the Chinese export duties. (In this context, it is particularly absurd that environmentally friendly, requiring little resources bulb is banned throughout the EU by 2012., But she had the producers simply can contribute too little return ...).

The following is a short list of some important spice metals and their uses:

Antimony
Very rare, brittle semi-metal. Tasteful antimony can be found among others in Sankt Andreas Berg (resin) and Bieber (Spessart). However, processed industrial mainly stibnite, we mined in Bolivia, Mexico and China. Antimony is important for a variety of alloys, such. For example in the manufacture of semiconductors. Antimony acts as a parting agent in gold mining.

Coltran, see tantalum

Gallium
Extremely rare blue-white metal; has a very low melting point and does not oxidize easily, therefore it is used protective layer for optical mirrors, as a liquid seal for appliances that heat up considerably, also for liquid crystal displays, computer monitors and flat TV screens

Hafnium
Is a non-toxic, highly corrosion-resistant transition metal. Is obtained in a very complicated process of zirconium; The main deposits are in Australia and South Africa, is used in computer chips and in nuclear control rods to control the chain reaction. Hafnium is often alloyed with metals such as niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, whereby particularly stable, refractory and refractory materials can be constructed. Hafnium is very expensive, especially for military equipment, used nuclear submarines.

Indium
Is a soft heavy metal, non-toxic, is one of the scarcest resources of this earth; is recovered from zinc ore (zinc = conductive metal for indium), the largest mining areas are in China, Canada and Peru; but there are also sites in Germany, the Erzgebirge (Freiberg, Marienberg). Indium has in many respects similar to gallium, it is also used as a conductor in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), touch screens as an additive in gasoline and control rods in nuclear reactors, for soldering semiconductors for transistors, soldering of non-metallic materials such as glass and etc. used as well as ceramics and as indium tin oxide in solar cells. In addition, indium find light emitting diodes (LED), laser diodes, photo and use. Indium has a very low melting point, when coating glass with indium, it throws back the infrared radiation, that restricts the passage of heat radiation. Therefore, indium for aircraft and building windows, furnace and refrigerator doors is used. A truly wide range of applications!

The secondary production exceeded 2008 with 800 tons already the primary production (acquiring new), which shows that recycling is increasingly economically but also can not be technically improved. The Indiumpreis increased from $ 97/2002 on $ 827/2005. Japan is leading the recovery of indium. At the moment, the price per kilo is $ 700.
With 300 tons of annual production in 2006 China is ahead of Japan with 55 tons, Canada 50, Belgium 30, Russia 15, France 10th

Iridium
rare, brittle, extremely corrosion resistant platinum metal, the second densest metal at all, especially for alloys important.

Palladium
Stretch metal, for electrical contacts and alloys

Platinum
Is a heavy, very corrosion resistant, ductile transition metal. Platinum is not toxic, but its compounds are highly toxic (chemotherapy for cancer). The precious metal is important for vehicle catalysts in laboratory equipment, pacemakers, spark plugs. Nozzles, dental implants, jewelry and much more. Main producers (2005) South Africa (140.1 tons) and Russia (70 tons). Platinum is rhodium and gold in front of the most valuable precious metal and about 90 times more expensive than silver. Therefore, cash and investments. There are still 2 available bullion coins: the "Canadian Platinum Marple Leaf" and "Amerian Platinum Eagle".

Tantalum
Is a rare, non-toxic transition metal, it does not react with body fluids and therefore the like in the surgical implants, prostheses, bone nail employed. Tantalum has a use temperature up to 2300 ° C, its melting point is 3000 ° C. It is therefore also used in high-performance capacitors; in microelectronics and in cars eg electrolytic capacitors. It is estimated the property of tantalum oxide, very thin yet stable and safe to isolate the surface tantalum foil. In aircraft an admixture of tantalum in engines and turbines to their resistance and temperature resistance contributes. Tantalum has a melting temperature of 3880 ° C the fourth-highest melting point of all elements and the hardness of a diamond.

Tantalum is not pure before, but always in combination with other minerals. Tantalum ores are also known as coltan, which is indispensable for mobile phones. Main producing country is Australia (825 tons), followed by Brazil (250 tons). Gained notoriety of the Congo, provide the Coltanvorkommen for the bloody civil war since 1996 ...

It can further be seen as spice metals:

Tellurium
Found in various ores and is used as an alloy component in steel alloys, and copper.

Terbium
Rare metal that is laser and solid state electronics elements use.

Bismuth
Brittle metal; Spice element for low-melting alloys has meaning primarily in mechanical engineering.

In times of economic crisis, of course, also suffers the demand for metals; are formed z. T. excess inventories followed by price declines. A price of metals is generally difficult to be predicted. A certain constant dynamics brings the big demand from China.

Non-ferrous metals traded on the London (alongside New York and Shanghai) Metal Exchange "LME". However, there have only metal wholesalers access. Here commodity prices are negotiated in three-month contracts. Private investors can about the performance of commodities place bets (index funds, certificates) or invest in equity funds, have the raw material mines in the portfolio. However, these systems are highly risky because the issuer (= banking, financial services) a certificate may go bankrupt of course.

For private investors, the spice metals appear to be interesting that a fairly consistent high prices per ounce or kg show almost constant, especially handy when it comes to small quantities (platinum) me; which are still in demand almost certainly despite the crisis and which seem to be also scarce, as no new sites are known. Platinum and indium strike me as quite interesting, since the growth of the computer industry (indium) is not likely to stop in a still reinforcing crisis.

In addition, it also seems to me useful to have targeted for investment recovery company in the eye which close the circuits importantly, increasingly scarce metals such as platinum or indium better. The quoted article in the Sunday newspaper also shows a graph together with the percentages of recycling share of the respective metals. Here is certainly still room for improvement, especially if shortages should occur ...

It might not be a bad idea, for example, platinum and indium to buy and store it in a suitable place. I hold a safe at home, in principle, for safer than a bank. Because what you do when this has once reform closed for renovations or (currency)?

Warning: The above ideas and thoughts are a soliloquy of a bloody laywoman in this topic. But even a blind chicken ...

Some links:
http://www.edelmetall-preise.de/
http://www.goldseiten.de
http://www.haines-maassen.com/deutsch/indium.html
http://www.goldseiten.de/content/diverses/artikel.php?storyid=1308
About the miraculous indium-Fund in the Erzgebirge:
http://www.terminmarktwelt.de/cgi-bin/nforum.pl?ST=122854&F=115

This is something I find eg unsafe for me ... but interesting nonetheless.:
http://www.etfsecurities.com/de/welcome.asp

The Chinese seem to have similar ideas ...:
http://is.gd/1NCk8

PS: Oh yeah, almost forgot: One need also money to create what may. Too bad also ...

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Tags: spice metals , indium , platinum , recycling metals

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