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ISSN 2056-6727 (Print)
The magazine of the Minor Metals Trade Association
Gas Mask Materials
Minor Metals in Morocco
Straight from the Earth’s
Core
2nd Edition 2018/ February-March
The
CRUCIBLE
2
THE MMTA’S INTERNATIONAL MINOR METALS CONFERENCE 2018
Organised by Metal Events Ltd
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada, 11-13 April
EXCELLENT MEMBERS’ AND NON-MEMBERS’ RATES
OVER 260 DELEGATES ALREADY REGISTERED
Register before 15 March: £900 for MMTA members and £1200 for non-members
Platinum Sponsor Gold Sponsors
WHO ATTENDS THE CONFERENCE?
3
Contact Us:
Address: MMTA, 33 Queen Street,
London, EC4R 1BR, UK
Tel: +44 (0)207 833 0237
Email: [email protected]
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The MMTA promotes essential elements that add
quality, safety and enjoyment to our lives.
The MMTA is the world's leading minor metals industry organisation.
Disclaimer: The information and data contained
in this edition of the Crucible (the Material) has been compiled by the Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) from sources believed to be reliable at the time of writing but the MMTA makes no representa-tion or warranty (express or implied) as to the accu-racy, timeliness or completeness of the Material. The Material is provided for information purposes only, but is not to be relied upon as authoritative or taken in substitution for the exercise of the reader’s own skill and judgment. It should not be relied upon for any specific or general application without first obtaining competent advice. The MMTA, its members, staff and consultants accept no liability whatsoever (however that liability arises) for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising from any use of the Material.
The Crucible contains links to third party websites and material and information created and main-tained by organisations other than the MMTA. These links are provided solely for your convenience. The MMTA does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any third party information or material accessed by means of a link within the Crucible. The inclusion of a link is not intended to reflect the importance of the third party materials accessed through it, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, accuracy of material, products or services offered or other information made available via the link.
Cobalt mining 4
Gas Masks 6
REACH Advice 7
Moroccan Minerals 10-12
Earth’s core 13
Digital trading 14
NASA alloys 15
New Member The MMTA are pleased to welcome CAI CUSTOM ALLOYS INC as a member.
CAI are vacuum metal processors & suppliers of primary and secondary raw materials including Nickel & Cobalt Based Alloys and Pure Metals that support the following:
Aerospace & Defense, Oil & Gas, Medical & Dental, Power Generation, Investment Casting , Foundry & Stainless Mills
Contact Name: Scott Kirby or Jeff Rubino
Contact Email: [email protected]
Business Phone: 815-544-4600
http://www.customalloysinc.com
Metals include: Chromium, Tantalum, Hafnium , Titanium, Molybdenum, Tungsten, Columbium, Vanadium , Rhenium, Zirconium
Member News
Hafnium breakthrough
Alkane’s wholly owned subsidiary, Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASM), has developed new
high‐purity hafnium dioxide products.
• Hafnium oxide exceeding 99.8% HfO2, and 99.9% (Hf+Zr)O2, has been produced using a
proprietary process to separate hafnium from zirconium at the demonstration pilot plant at
ANSTO.
• Over the past 12 months, ASM has consulted extensively with industry to confirm growing
market demand for high‐purity hafnium, which currently depends on supply from the
production of zirconium metal for specialty alloys and the nuclear industry.
• Global shortage of hafnium anticipated as demand is poised to outstrip current supply.
• Hafnium metal for super alloys is currently trading in a US$800 ‐ $900/kg range. The ASM
business case assumes a conservative product price of US$500/kg for its oxide.
• ASM will initially produce 25tpa hafnium to meet projected market demand, ramping up to
higher quantities as required.
Update from PGS Antwerp
We’re pleased to report that newly appointed MMTA warehouse PGS in Antwerp has
enjoyed a very positive response from the market.
The Global Commodities Warehouse Operators' LME desk was previously owned by
Glencore. Now operating independently and neutral again for several years, PGS is
currently studying options to have more locations approved by the MMTA.
'Potential clients are looking very favourably towards PGS due to its neutrality and
expertise in Antwerp. Our Global coverage applies to many clients and materials and
can be shifted from one continent to another, remaining under our full control' CEO
Patrick Bleijenbergh confirmed. 'Next to the excellent Antwerp facilities, clients have
shown real interest in our Asian and US operations as well.'
Mr.Bleijenbergh confirms Shanghai and Busan in Asia and Baltimore in the USA are
attractive locations for our clientele.
'Until such time, clients are warmly invited to call us for any enquiry and we look
forward to have them as our guest and customer'
[email protected] / +31(0) 6 53 194 163 / www.pglobalservices.com
4
COBALT: What about small scale miners? In global markets the price of cobalt, used in batteries for
high-tech products from phones to cars , has nearly tripled
to $81,500 a tonne in two years, but who are the main
beneficiaries of this rise?
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which produced
around two-thirds of the global supply of the metal last year,
artisanal miners sell their best-quality ore for about $7,000
a tonne, bearing little correlation to how much the global
price has rocketed. Chinese entrepreneurs often dominate
the middle section of the market, purchasing the
raw cobalt from miners and selling it on for refining.
Transactions in the buying houses depend on the purity of the
ore. There are approximately 30 major kinds of cobalt-bearing
rock and over 100 more where the metal is present in smaller
quantities.
Different quality ores have varying prices offered for a tonne
with local prices advertised at "3 percent = $500" (a low quality
product) and "15 percent = $7,000" (the best quality containing
the most amount of cobalt). This cobalt component is
determined by a machine called "Metorex" which is used by
the buyer. Prices are reported to have gone up by only around
5% since the start of the year.
The middlemen then sell the raw material to operators for
semi-processing, with approximately 80% exported to China
from the ports of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Cape Town in
South Africa. In China, the metal is then refined with about a
dozen companies offering this stage. The main actors in this
part of the process are foreign-owned: China Molybdenum,
Rangold, Glencore, MMG, an Australian-Chinese venture, and
the Indian-controlled Chemical of Africa.
At the moment, only an initial treatment of the ore is possible
in DRC, therefore missing out on the profits from selling a more
refined product, composed mainly of hydroxide with a cobalt
content of between 20 and 40 percent.
"The production of refined cobalt in China has grown
20 percent. At 62,000 tonnes, it accounts for 60 percent of
global output," states Darton Commodities, an MMTA member
specialising in Cobalt.
"Today the world's biggest seller of cobalt is China," said
Congolese economist Musha. "The product clearly does not
benefit the Congolese economy."
The cobalt sector has attracted widespread criticism from NGOs
for use of child labour, hazardous working conditions,
corruption and theft.
Artisanal miners accounted for between 14 to 16 percent of
the 80,800 tonnes of cobalt mined in the country last year,
according to Darton.
The DRC would like to refine its minerals but has run into
problems, notably infrastructural glitches like erratic power
supplies.
The government last year signalled its intention to reform its
2002 mining code, which was seen as favouring foreign
investors at the expense of the local economy.
It wants to ensure the repatriation of at least 40 percent of the
revenue of minerals sold for export, and increase the fiscal take
from "strategic minerals."
At present, the state levies a tax of two percent on non-ferrous
metals—copper and cobalt—which is based on the value of
sales, from which some costs are deducted.
The current draft of the revised plan—now in the hands of
President Joseph Kabila—sees this rising to 10 percent.
Shareholders in big mining corporations with interests in DRC
have written to Kabila to express their concern, hoping that
this version of the law will be revised, according to industry
sources.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-02-cobalt-prices-
soar-congo-small.html#jCp
5
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6
Gas masks filters- Moly oxide and
copper oxide
In research that could lead to better gas mask filters, scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have been putting the X-ray spotlight on composite materials in respirators used by the military, police and first responders, and the results have been encouraging. What they are learning not only provides reassuring news about the effectiveness of current filters in protecting people from lethal compounds such as VX and sarin, but they also provide fundamental information that could lead to more advanced gas masks, as well as protective gear for civilian applications.
The project at Berkeley Lab is led by Hendrik Bluhm, a senior staff scientist with joint appointments in the Chemical Sciences Division and the Advanced Light Source (ALS). On his team are two postdoctoral researchers in the Chemical Sciences Division, Lena Trotochaud and Ashley Head. The Berkeley Lab team is part of a larger collaboration that includes researchers at the University of Maryland at College Park, Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
The researchers pointed out that studying how metal oxides interact with small organophosphates could be relevant beyond the gas masks used by the military and emergency responders. The work they are doing could have applications in sensing technologies. In addition, less potent forms of organophosphates are widely used as pesticides and herbicides, so the findings could help the agricultural industry and environmental scientists understand what eventually happens to these substances after they are released into the environment.
"This is a project where we are working to help save lives," said Trotochaud. "That is very fulfilling."
Do the masks work?
Current gas mask filters do counter current threats, but there are large gaps in knowledge about how they do so at the molecular level, the researchers said. The question comes up because many of the filters were developed to handle a wide range of ever-changing chemical threats and to work under a variety of different conditions all over the world. During World War I, chemical warfare agents were predominantly chlorine and mustard gases.
Since then, a new class of chemical weapon came onto the scene. Sarin and venomous agent X, or VX, are nerve agents so named because they interfere with the nervous system's ability to communicate with muscles, including those that control breathing. The current materials used in gas mask filters provide effective protection against all of these compounds, despite the very different chemical properties of the gases.
Gas mask filters include activated carbon, a family of absorbents that trap toxins in millions of micro-pores. It is the same compound used to filter water and treat ingestion of poisons. The activated carbon traps the toxins, but in gas masks it is further augmented with metal oxides, such as copper and molybdenum, to help break down the toxins.
"Even though the first gas mask filters were developed before these new nerve agents emerged, the current filters are effective at capturing them, and they also seem to be good at breaking them down, but we still have some questions about the chemistry of this process," said Trotochaud. "We know it works, but we don't always know how it fails. We do know the filters sometimes stop working after a while when exposed to these organophosphorus compounds, so the chemistry of how the material is deactivated after exposure to these agents is a big part what we're studying."
The Berkeley Lab researchers targeted two metal oxides – molybdenum oxide and copper oxide – that are key working components in gas mask filters. To simulate the small organophosphorus molecules of sarin and VX, the researchers worked with dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), an established proxy for sarin with similar functional groups but significantly lower toxicity.
The goal is to better understand the molecular interactions that occur as various gases are adsorbed by the gas mask filter materials, and the environmental conditions – air pollution, diesel fuel exhaust, water – that could alter performance and shelf life, so even better materials can be developed.
"Much of our early work focused on characterization," said Bluhm, the project's principal investigator. "There were a lot of details to resolve. What exactly does copper oxide do? What does molybdenum oxide do? Why does one behave differently than the other? Understanding where the differences are can make these filtration materials potentially much more efficient."
The effects of water vapor were of particular interest because of how the masks are used, noted Bluhm.
"It's a filtration mask that sits in front of our mouths, so there is high humidity as we breathe into it," he said. "Among the published findings from our project is that water vapor seems to be neutral or even beneficial for the performance of the materials."
This was reported in a 2016 study, which found that water exposure activated the composite surface in a way that facilitated the binding of the DMMP molecule, lowering the energy required to break the molecule down.
Journal reference: Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Provided by: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-gas-mask-
filters-people-easier.html#jCp
7
It’s the final countdown...
Introduction
With the final REACH registration deadline on 31 May 2018,
here are a few hints and tips if you have not yet completed the
registration. A more detailed guidance document can be
found on the REACHReady website:
https://www.cia.org.uk/reachready/REACH/REACH-Basics/
REACH 2018: Hints and Tips for an Efficient Registration
Don’t forget, MMTA members receive a 25% discount on
REACHReady Gold Membership.
Substance Identity
• Have you conducted tests on your substance to determine
its identity profile and confirm that your substance is with-
in the defined boundary composition of the SIEF?
SIEF Considerations
• Registration is based on the principle of “one substance,
one registration”, therefore with minimal exceptions, you
must be part of the joint submission
There are two main scenarios:
1. If a registration has not previously been submitted by
the SIEF, a lead registrant must be selected to submit
the lead dossier once SIEF members have gathered and
shared the information required. Where there are data
gaps testing may be required.
2. If a registration is already in place by members of the
SIEF registering at previous deadlines in 2010 and 2013,
you must gain access to the submitted data you require
for your tonnage band via a letter of access (LoA) which
can be purchased from the lead registrant. The cost of a
LoA can vary from SIEF to SIEF and depends on how
many members are within the SIEF and must be shared
in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory way.
Prepare your Dossier in IUCLID 6
• If you are registering in the 1-10 tonnes per year tonnage
band you could benefit from reduced data requirements.
• All member registrant dossiers, including the lead, must
include their own company specific information.
• The lead registrant dossier must also include all infor-
mation that the co-registrants submit jointly.
• The information requirements for intermediates tends to
be reduced and there is no requirement to complete a
chemical safety assessment.
Submit your Dossier
• The lead registrant must submit their dossier before the
other members of the SIEF can submit their dossiers
(before April 2018 to give the other members sufficient
time to submit).
• The member registrants should stay active within the SIEF,
so they are aware of when they can submit their dossier.
• If the member registrant agrees with all the information
the lead has submitted on their behalf, then the member
dossier can be created directly within REACH IT rather
than in IUCLID 6.
How to Avoid Failing the Post Submission Checks
To pass the Business Rule Check
• Your dossier must be in IUCLID /REACH IT format and your
admin information must be consistent
To pass the technical completeness check, the following four
main areas are focussed on:
• Correct substance identification – analytical information
must be provided
• Data waivers – a valid justification must be provided
• Testing proposals on vertebrate animals – alternatives
must have been considered and justifications provided
• Chemical Safety report- if one isn’t attached to the dossier
a justification must be provided
Before submitting, use the validation assistant plug-in in IU-
CLID 6 to highlight sections requiring further information.
Once ECHA has carried out these checks on your submitted
dossier, you may be required to perform additional tasks
which could include:
• Updating your dossier if your initial dossier fails
• Paying the registration fee to ECHA
Therefore, ensure that you check your task page in REACH IT
regularly.
Further Information and Guidance
The ECHA website has in-depth, dedicated pages for the
REACH 2018 registration deadline which can be found at the
following link https://echa.europa.eu/reach-2018.
REACHReady Gold subscribers can speak to a technical advisor
via the REACHReady Helpdesk. Just call +44 (0)207 901 1444 or
email [email protected]
© REACHReady Limited 2017 Version 1: June 2017
8
Chemicals, Compliance and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Chemical manufacturers in the US have reported difficulties reporting on their chemical use for the TSCA inventory deadline,
according to industry associations. Manufacturers and importers were required to file Notices of Activity (NOAs) by 7 February
on their chemical use for the 'inventory reset rule', required under the reformed TSCA.
The data will be used to determine the substances active in commerce, ensure confidential business information (CBI) claims
are current and to better focus the chemicals programme under section 6 of TSCA, which provides the EPA with the authority
to prohibit or limit the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use or disposal of a chemical.
An EPA spokesperson confirmed the agency received more than 85,000 individual NOAs by the deadline, which he said
"represents a significant effort by manufacturers".
He urged chemical manufacturers and importers who missed the deadline to file as soon as possible "so that the agency can
accurately designate substances as active or inactive on the TSCA inventory at the close of the full retrospective submission
period on 5 October".
About: The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) required the compiling of a national register of chemicals that were manufactured in or imported into the
United States for a non-exempt commercial purpose, and the first TSCA Inventory in 1979 included approximately 62,000 chemicals. Since then, the Inventory
has been expanded to include approximately 90,000 chemicals—a rate of over 700 new chemicals per year. However, Congress did not provide an adequate
way to prioritize among these chemicals in conducting health and safety reviews under TSCA Section 6(b). One of the outstanding issues that the 2016 TSCA
Amendments sought to resolve was how to prioritize among these chemicals in conducting health and safety reviews. The 2016 amendments to TSCA modified
Section 8(b) of the Act and required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate each chemical substance on the TSCA Inventory as either
“active” or “inactive” in U.S. commerce. The TSCA Inventory Reset Rule fulfils this statutory requirement.
JOB VACANCY: GLOBAL CATEGORY MANAGER, ELEMENTAL METALS AT ARCONIC
IDEALLY IN PITTSBURGH, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE. PLEASE CONTACT THE COMPANY DIRECTLY
Primary Purpose of the Job
• Category Management is responsible for an assigned Global Category and the management of critical supplier relationships in conjunction with Category
Management Lead.
• The overall goal is to achieve the best total cost position for all external spend within the Global Category, the lowest sourcing risks, best supplier performances to ensure the highest efficiency and effectiveness of the Category Management team.
• He/she serves as the point of contact for supplier issues within the assigned categories including issues related to service, commercial terms and contract
disputes.
• He/she has to execute global best-in-class procurement processes using state-of-the-art procurement IT software support, ensuring the Category Management organization is utilizing the maximum potential within global and local markets (Cost Savings, Innovation, Quality, Logistics).
Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a procurement, supply chain, or commercial (sales) role, with 2 years’ international experience.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience working with superalloy, minor metals, or aerospace/industrial raw materials.
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa
sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This position is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) which requires U.S. person status. ITAR defines U.S. person as an U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor's or MBA/Master's Degree in Business Administration, Economics or Engineering.
• Experience purchasing metals commodities in a manufacturing setting.
• Decision-making ability.
• Communication and negotiation skills.
• Innovative, Strategic thinker.
For more information:
https://careers.arconic.com/en-US/
job/global-category-manager-
elemental-metals/
J3S05J73CQH1WQT4Y9P
9
10
Letter from North America: Morocco With an Observation on Rare Earths in Russia
and Further Observations on Certain Mineral
Resources in Morocco and Western Sahara
Dear Members
I trust this letter finds members everywhere facing
encouraging prospects for 2018. Here in the U.S., I’m really
not quite sure what our prospects are, especially when it
comes to trade. On one issue though, the imposition by
President Trump of steep tariffs on imported solar panels,
however much and however I look at it, I can see no upside,
except for the very few. And especially not consumers. But,
perhaps as always, we’ll just have to wait and see.
The weather? As everything else seems to be, changeable.
Chilly one day and warm the next. I always thought you
weren’t supposed to re-freeze anything after it had been
taken out of the deep freeze. Maybe that’s why, in addition to
the flu (which is rampant this year), there’s so much sickness
around.
But, once again: “Enough of the weather already!”
Russia
Back in early June and late July last year, you may remember
that I wrote a two-part letter with some observations on
Russia and its mineral resources. In it I quoted from a speech
relating to rare earths made by Denis Manturov, Russian
Minister of Industry and Trade, in Veliky Novgorod on July 29,
20161. In it he referred to the fact that “Rostec and IST Group
of Companies are implementing the industry’s flagship project
of developing the Tomtor rare metals deposit…”2
In its “Weekly Round-up” (always well worth reading!), posted
on January 24, Roskill provided an interesting up-date on the
project: Rare Earths/niobium: Russia puts its weight behind
rare earths.3 It appears that, this year, the Tomtor niobium-
rare earth deposit in Yakutia is set to enter development at a
cost of $1.3 billion. Roskill gives a figure for reported resources
at the Tomtor deposit of 154Mt of ore “at 9.5% total rare
earths oxides (TREO).”4
What, in particular, caught my eye in the piece was this:
“Tomtor is one of a number of rare earth deposits across the
globe with significant radioactive by-products.” And, it
appears, the co-produced thorium is going to be used “for the
development of a nuclear power plant.” This got me thinking
about other countries that are looking at co-producing (and
exploiting) radioactive by-products from mineral resources
they already mine. One such is, of course, Morocco.
Morocco and Western Sahara
Uranium
According to the World Nuclear Association,5 building on the
efforts of French and Russian geologists prior to 1982, the
Moroccan government’s Office National des Hydrocarbures et
des Mines (“ONHYM”) is encouraging exploration for uranium
in the country. Three areas are under investigation: Haute
Moulouya, Wafagga, and Sirwa.
As you’ll all probably already know, after China, Morocco is
the world’s second largest producer of phosphates and its
largest exporter. The country’s Office Chérifien des
Phosphates, or OCP, is not only the largest phosphate
producer in the world, but also “has exclusive access to the
largest phosphate rock reserves in the world with 50 billion
tons, representing 75% of currently known global phosphate
reserves.”6
Before going any further, however, it is really well worth
taking a tiny historical detour and going back a few years.
Formed in 1920, the same year phosphates were discovered in
Morocco, OCP has the monopoly on mining, processing, and
marketing these phosphates. Prospecting for uranium in
Morocco started at the end of WWII and the “uranium content
in Moroccan phosphates was discovered in 1946”.7 What
happened thereafter is fascinating. Way prior to 1982, indeed,
in the 1950s and as the Cold War started to get “colder”,
France and the U.S. entered into a unique, secret collaboration
to explore for uranium in Morocco. Whilst initially established
to search for uranium, as the French “empire” started to
disintegrate and Morocco moved inexorably towards
independence, the collaboration 8 between French and US
geologists “morphed” into something very different – not least
a way of ensuring that, post-independence, any uranium
discovered did not fall into the “wrong” hands! Matthew
Adamson’s articles on the subject in either The British Journal
of the History of Science9 or Physics Today 10are certainly
worth a read.
In light of the above, and France’s continuing connection with
its former “protectorate”, it seems particularly appropriate
that, in October 2017, OCP signed an agreement with French
firm Areva to explore the recovery of uranium from
phosphoric acid. The uranium resources in Morocco’s
phosphates are, reportedly, very large, with the IAEA giving a
figure of 6.9 million tonnes for “estimated availability”.11
Rare Earths, Niobium, and Tantalum
In addition to uranium, phosphate ore can, of course, contain
a number of additional exploitable minerals and/or metals,
including rare earths (REEs). REEs have been identified in a
number of locations in Morocco. At Glibat Lafhouda and
Twihinate (in Awserd province), light REEs have been
identified along with uranium, niobium, and tantalum, as they
have at two prospects in Lamlaga and Drag Al Farnan.12
Significant examples of “REE enrichment associated with
11
alkaline rocks include the Tamazeght Complex”13 in the High
Atlas Mountains.
In its Annual Report 2014,14 ONHYM reported that a number
of its mining exploration projects had discovered REEs. These
included that at Lahjeyra where “[t]he results of punctual
chemical analyzes reach 0.57% Ce, 0.29% La and 0.56% Nb
showing grades reaching 7% REE. Grades of Yttrium (heavy
rare earth) are thereabouts of 1 144 ppm.” Further drilling in
2015 and a “re-evaluation of resources” produced the
following figures: “372 Mt at 0.62% of LREE, 613 ppm HREE,
0.34% Nb2O5 and 461 ppm Th.”15 Drilling in Essarih found
REEs, but in “low grades”.
There were also “relatively high grades of thorium.” And at
Aghracha, where drillings “intersected Rare Earth Elements
mineralization at a depth lower than 50 m.” (In its efforts to
promote “mining opportunities”, ONHYM produces a number
of nice little flyers that are available on its website.16)
Antimony, Arsenic, and Cobalt
In the Morocco and Western Sahara section of the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) 2014 Minerals Yearbook 17(the latest
available), production figures are given for 2013 and 2014 of
7,000 tonnes of antimony oxide. However, I have not been
able to find out any further information as to who actually
produced it. And, indeed, whether any is still produced. (I am
sure that a more knowledgeable member will be able to
inform me.)
Also according to the USGS, Production of arsenic in 2016 by
China (25,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide) and Morocco (7,000
tonnes of arsenic trioxide) accounted for 87% of estimated
world production.18 This number for Morocco appears to be
mostly accounted for by production (6,122 tonnes) from
Tifnout Tighanimine’s (controlled by Managem) Bou-Azzer
mine some 120 kilometers south of Ouarzazate.19
Source: ONHYM – Annual Report 2016 (Page 41)
ONHYM’s Mining Exploration and Location Map of Mining Projects in 2016
12
For the year ended December 31, 2016, Managem reported
that production of cobalt cathodes at its Guemassa industrial
complex, from feedstock mined at Bou-Azzer, amounted to
20,081 tonnes. Noting that it had discovered 3,624 tonnes of
“new mineral reserves around the operating mines”, the
company indicated that in “tonne metal content (Co)”
resources stood at “1,100t” and reserves at “16,856t”.
The Legal Environment for Mining in Morocco
Not least because of the success of its phosphate industry
(phosphate products constitute nearly 90% of its mining
exports), mineral exploration and exploitation in Morocco and
Western Sahara has not been either extensive or intense. In
addition to copper, iron ore, lead, manganese and zinc, the
country also has reserves of gold, silver, and barite. Another
reason, until recently, has been an antiquated mining code
dating back to 1951. In an attempt to attract investment, a
new mining code received its “implementation decree” in
April 2016.20
However, a further, very serious, obstacle to attracting
investment has been, and still remains, of a very practical
nature: according to the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and
Sustainable Development only 36% of the country has been
geologically mapped.21 It appears, however, that said ministry
is more than aware of the issues involved and is undertaking
some initiatives to sort things out.
For those members who are interested, on the 8th and 9th May
this year the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Sustainable
Development is organizing “Geological Days of Morocco” at its
offices in Rabat. One of the topics to be discussed will be:
“Mineral resources (strategic metals, mines and quarries,
optimization of the discovery of minerals deposits, building
materials and energy efficiency in buildings, etc.).” It might
make for an interesting trip.
I trust the above provides members at least a taste of what is
currently on offer by way of minor metals in Morocco. Over
the coming years, I would not be surprised to hear that
ONHYM and others have discovered other perhaps more
exciting resources. I’ll keep my eyes open!
In the meantime, I remain, as always, with best wishes from
New York.
Yours
Tom Butcher
February 5th, 2018
©2018 Tom Butcher
Tom Butcher is an Associate Director at Van Eck Associates
Corporation ("VanEck"). The views and opinions expressed herein are
the personal views of Tom Butcher are not presented by or associated
with VanEck or its affiliated entities.
1The Kremlin: Meeting on developing the production and use of rare earth metals, http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/52619 2Ibid. 3Roskill Weekly Round-up: Rare Earths/niobium: Russia puts it weight behind rare earths, https://roskill.com/news/rare-earths-niobium-russia-puts-weight-behind-rare-earths/ 4Ibid. 5World Nuclear Association: Uranium in Africa, http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/others/uranium-in-africa.aspx 6OCP Group: Our Strengths, http://www.ocpgroup.ma/investors/our-strengths 7INPRO DF11 IAEA (20-23 Oct 2015): Introduction of Nuclear Power as a Part of a Sustainable Future Mix Energy System in Morocco, https://www.iaea.org/INPRO/11th_Dialogue_Forum/DAY3/Session4/OKB_INPRO-DF11.pdf 8The British Journal of the History of Science: Les liaisons dangereuses: resource surveillance, uranium diplomacy and secret French–American collaboration in 1950s Morocco, Volume 49, Issue 1, March 2016 , pp. 79-105, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-for-the-history-of-science/article/les-liaisons-dangereuses-resource-surveillance-uranium-diplomacy-and-secret-frenchamerican-collaboration-in-1950s-morocco/2D93CA27DFA62ED132CAF6FBE5E6D2D8# 9Ibid. 10Physics Today: The secret search for uranium in Cold War Morocco, Volume 70, Issue 6, June 2017, p. 54, http://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/PT.3.3595 11IAEA: Country Nuclear Power Profiles 2015 Edition – Morocco (Updated 2013), http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/CNPP2015_CD/countryprofiles/Morocco/Morocco.htm 12ONHYM: Activity Report 2009, http://www.onhym.com/pdf/en/Rapport%20ONHYM%202009%20Ang.pdf 13British Geological Survey: Rare Earth Elements, http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/17448/1/Rare_Earth_Elements_profile%5B1%5D.pdf 14ONHYM: Annual Report 2014, http://www.onhym.com/pdf/Publications/ONHYM_ANNUAL_REPORT_2014.pdf 15ONHYM: Annual Report 2016, http://www.onhym.com/pdf/Publications/Annual_Report_2016_Ss.pdf 16ONHYM: MINERALS EXPLORATION - MINING OPPORTUNITIES, http://www.onhym.com/en/component/content/article/36-en/key-informations/305-minerals-exploration-mining-opportunities.html 17USGS: 2014 Minerals Yearbook – Morocco and Western Sahara, https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2014/myb3-2014-mo-wi.pdf 18USGS: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2017 – Arsenic, https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/arsenic/mcs-2017-arsen.pdf 19Managem: Annual Report 2016, http://www.managemgroup.com/content/download/1367/8963/file/Managem%20-%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf 20DLA Piper: Mining in Morocco: a legal snapshot, https://www.dlapiper.com/en/southafrica/insights/publications/2017/07/mining-in-morocco-a-legal-snapshot/ 21Ibid.
13
It is possible to imagine that when the Earth first
began, it looked a lot like the geothermal region in
the North Island of New Zealand. With steam and
the smell of sulphur in the air, it feels like the
Earth's core is simply bursting out through its crust.
The boiling river of Otamakokore meanders its way
downstream, starting at 98 degrees Celsius, cooling
to between 50-60 degrees Celsius, before joining a
larger, much colder stream.
The entire area is literally steaming. The lily
pad-like formations seen in the boiling water are
calcite and silica. These are formed due to the high
mineral content in the water, particularly calcium
and magnesium. These are not, however, the only
minor metals to be found. The analytical report for
the spring shows the range of minor metals and
other elements present, including arsenic, caesium,
lithium, magnesium, rubidium and silica.
The Te Manaroa spring has the largest discharge of boiling water in New Zealand,
with water being discharged at a rate of between 40-50 litres per second. The
depth is unknown, but is thought to be hydrologically connected to the nearby
Wai-o-tapu geothermal field by of an underground cold water river that then
combines with the main column of deeper, higher temperature fluid.
Micro-organisms found in
geothermal hot water
systems are believed to be
closely related to the very
first life like forms to
appear on Earth. They are
known as extremophiles
due to their ability to
survive in very extreme
conditions.
From the Earth’s Core
Source: M Cox, Otamakokore River, New Zealand
Source: M Cox, Sulphur Pool, Wai-o-tapu, New
Zealand Source: M Cox, Champagne Pool, Wai-o-tapu, New Zealand
The Champagne Pool at the
nearby Wai-o-tapu
geothermal park is
oversaturated with metal-
loid compounds, with the
spectacular orange colour
originating from deposits
of arsenic and antimony
sulphides. This contrasts
with the acrid yellow of the
nearby sulphur pool.
14
Metalshub takes commodity trading into
the digital age
It’s not the first time that there has been attempt to ‘digitalise’
minor metals trading, but traditional practices have endured.
Now Metalshub is on the scene, will we finally see a shift to the
digital?
In late 2017, Metalshub launched its metals marketplace of the
future hoping to transform the way metals and ferroalloys are
traded. Metalshub claims to deliver a faster, more secure and
more cost effective handling of physical transactions.
Over the last few years, E-commerce has massively changed our
way of life as consumers. I do my shopping, pay my bills and even
found a babysitter through online platforms.
However, the digital transformation of complex business-to-
business supply chains is just starting. Some of the largest B2B
markets are commodities. Fuelled by population growth, global
demand for commodities has grown 50% over the last 30 years.
Electric vehicles, Industry 4.0 and renewable energy will further
increase demand for high-tech commodities. While some
industrial metals are traded on the London Metal Exchange, for
many other metals organised trading currently does not exist.
Chrome, titanium or silicon in the form of alloys are used in steel
making, 3D printing and chemicals. Cobalt, rare earth elements
and lithium are used in magnets, batteries for electric vehicles
and wind turbines. These are markets together worth more than
100 billion dollars underserved by technology. But the digital
revolution enables the transformation of these markets in the
same way it has already transformed so many other industries.
Metalshub was founded in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2016 by
Dr. Frank Jackel and Dr. Sebastian Kreft. The two founders
previously worked together in London for one of the world’s
leading mining companies, Anglo American, as sales executives
for ferroalloys and nickel respectively. The start-up is backed by
experienced business angels such as Dr. Dieter Heuskel, former
Chairman of The Boston Consulting Group, Jochen Engert,
Co-Founder of FlixBus, Dr. Ralf Köster, former CEO of the Bartec
Group and Entrepreneur of the Year in Germany and Dr. Gerald
Schönbucher, Managing Director of real.digital.
In Europe alone, there are more than 10,000 companies which
rely on the supply of metals to produce their products. Metalshub
brings buyers and suppliers together on its digital marketplace
and opens up new commercial opportunities. The challenge in
today’s analogue metals trading world is trust. People trade with
people they trust. Metalshub will create a trusted environment.
All participants are vetted through a diligent onboarding process
following the “know your customer” principle.
“In my job as Head of Ferroalloys Sales at Anglo American,
I experienced the complexity of selling ferroalloys in a very large
but fragmented market. We see a huge opportunity to introduce
new technologies to make the business more efficient,” states
Co-Founder Dr. Frank Jackel.
A typical commodity transaction involves several parties: buyer,
seller, logistics provider, insurer and trade finance provider.
Moreover, information needs to flow across various departments
within the company. Due to the value of most transaction, there
is zero tolerance for errors.
“This combination is an efficiency killer for any analogue process.
Metalshub has managed to digitise it. Many process steps which
were previously done manually, such as the creation of a legally
binding contract, have been automated. This reduces costs and
boosts transaction speed,” explains Co-Founder Dr. Sebastian
Kreft.
Metalshub is working with some of the world’s leading companies
in the logistics, trade finance and insurance industry. For example,
Metalshub has partnered with Euler Hermes, the global leader in
credit insurance, to be the first marketplace to offer its
transaction insurance Wilfried.ai. This new and innovative
product uses invoice level data and artificial intelligence to more
accurately price credit risk. To provide logistics services,
Metalshub is working with the leading European metals logistics
companies. It uses “big data” and “predictive analytics” methods
to model transport demand and supply and propose the optimal
logistics solution.
Looking to the future, Metalshub plans to pilot Blockchain, the
technology behind bitcoin, in the metals market. Blockchain has
the potential to solve some of the most pressing issues in
commodity trading: providing access to affordable trade finance
and receiving a tamper-proof evidence of origin of commodities.
More than 100 producers, consumers and traders of commodities
have already registered for Metalshub, among which some
heavyweights of the industry. The conservative commodity
trading industry is on the verge of a technology revolution.
Digital platforms will play a major part in it.
Contact details Phone number E-Mail
Frank Jackel +49 (0) 177 462 6262 [email protected]
Sebastian Kreft +49 (0) 171 564 2575 [email protected]
Michiel Minnaar +31 (0) 646 09 5254 [email protected]
Christine Allmendinger +49 (0) 1577 909 6284 [email protected]
The Metalshub team
15
NASA Armstrong tests nickel-titanium shape-memory alloy for
folding aircraft wings
January 2018
Source: ASM International
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, Calif., announces a recent series of flight tests in which a small-scale
UAV at Armstrong successfully demonstrated a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy’s ability to fold the wings between zero
and 70 degrees up and down during flight. NASA Glenn developed the initial alloy material, and worked closely with Boeing to
design an actuator based on its shape-memory capability.
The recent flight series was part of the Spanwise Adaptive Wing project, or SAW. This project aims to validate the use of a
cutting-edge, lightweight material to be able to fold the outer portions of aircraft wings and their control surfaces to optimal
angles in flight.
The shape-memory alloy is built into to an actuator that plays a vital role for moving parts on the airplane, where it has the
ability to fold the outer portion of an aircraft’s wings in flight without the strain of a heavy hydraulic system. The shape-
memory capability is triggered by temperature, and works by using thermal memory in a tube to move and function as an
actuator. When heated, the alloy activates a twisting motion in the tubes, which ultimately moves the wing’s outer portion up
or down. Systems with this new technology may weigh up to 80 percent less than traditional systems.
“The performance of this new alloy that we developed between NASA and Boeing really showed outstanding performance,”
says Jim Mabe, Technical Fellow with Boeing Research and Technology. “From the time we started initial testing here at
Boeing, up to the flight tests, the material was consistently stable, and showed superior performance to previous materials.”
“We wanted to see if we could move wings in flight, control them to any position we want, and do it with this new
technology,” says Dr. Othmane Benafan, Spanwise Adaptive Wing Co-Principal Investigator. “Folding wings has been done in
the past, but we wanted to prove the feasibility of doing this using shape-memory alloy technology, which is compact, light-
weight, and can be positioned in convenient places on the aircraft.” Benafan is vice president of the International Organization
on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies (SMST), an affiliate society of ASM International.
The Spanwise Adapted Wing project is a joint effort between NASA Armstrong, NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,
Langley Research Center in Virginia, Boeing Research & Technology in St. Louis and Seattle, and Area-I Inc. in Kennesaw,
Georgia. The project goal is to achieve a wide spectrum of aerodynamic benefits in flight by folding wings through the
application of shape-memory alloys.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/feature/nasa-tests-new-alloy-to-fold-wings-in-flight.html
