Rare Earths and the Balance Problem: How to Deal with Changing Markets?

The balance between the market demand and the natural abundance of the rare-earth elements (REEs) in ores, often referred to as the Balance Problem (or the Balancing Problem), is a major issue for REE suppliers. The ideal situation is a perfect match between the market demand for and the production of REEs, so that there are no surpluses of any of the REEs. This means that the rare-earth industry must find new uses for REEs that are available in excess and search for substitutes for REEs that have either limited availability or are high in demand. We present an overview of the trends in the applications for the different REEs and show that the demand for REEs for use in magnets, catalysts, and alloys is still increasing, while the application of REEs in polishing agents, glass, and ceramics are stable. On the other hand, the use of REEs in nickel–metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries and lamp phosphors is decreasing. These changes in the REE market have an influence on the Balance Problem, because the REEs that can be recycled from fluorescent lamps, cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), and NiMH batteries have to be at least partly reused in other applications. Magnesium and aluminum alloys offer an opportunity to mitigate the Balance Problem caused by these changes in the REE market. This is illustrated for REEs that can be recycled from fluorescent-lamp phosphor waste, CRT phosphors, and NiMH batteries. At present, five REEs (Nd, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Y) are being considered as very critical by Europe, the United States, and Japan, but we forecast that in the medium term, only neodymium will remain a critical REE. This paper discusses the relationship between criticality and the Balance Problem and shows how this relationship influences the market for specific REEs.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 680629 (REMAGHIC: New Recovery Processes to produce Rare Earth-Magnesium Alloys of High Performance and Low Cost) (project website: http://www.remaghic-project. eu). KB and PTJ acknowledge funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007–2013]) under Grant Agreement No. 607411 (MC-ITN EREAN: European Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Network) (project website of EREAN: http:// www.erean.eu). Paul McGuiness (Sciencewriter.si, Slovenia) is acknowledged for the drawing of the figures

Testing Observational Techniques with 3D MHD Jets in Clusters

Observations of X-ray cavities formed by powerful jets from AGN in galaxy cluster cores are commonly used to estimate the mechanical luminosity of these sources. We test the reliability of observationally measuring this power with synthetic X-ray observations of 3-D MHD simulations of jets in a galaxy cluster environment. We address the role that factors such as jet intermittency and orientation of the jets on the sky have on the reliability of observational measurements of cavity enthalpy and age. An estimate of the errors in these quantities can be made by directly comparing ``observationally'' derived values with values from the simulations. In our tests, cavity enthalpy, age and mechanical luminosity derived from observations are within a factor of two of the simulation values.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to appear in proceedings of The Monster's Fiery Breath: Feedback in Galaxies, Groups, and Clusters (AIP conference series

Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To update a 2005 Cochrane review that assessed the effects of neuraminidase inhibitors in preventing or ameliorating the symptoms of influenza, the transmission of influenza, and complications from influenza in healthy adults, and to estimate the frequency of adverse effects. Search strategy: An updated search of the Cochrane central register of controlled trials (Cochrane Library 2009, issue 2), which contains the Acute Respiratory Infections Group’s specialised register, Medline (1950-Aug 2009), Embase (1980-Aug 2009), and post-marketing pharmacovigilance data and comparative safety cohorts. Selection criteria: Randomised placebo controlled studies of neuraminidase inhibitors in otherwise healthy adults exposed to naturally occurring influenza. Main outcome measures: Duration and incidence of symptoms; incidence of lower respiratory tract infections, or their proxies; and adverse events. Data extraction: Two reviewers applied inclusion criteria, assessed trial quality, and extracted data. Data analysis: Comparisons were structured into prophylaxis, treatment, and adverse events, with further subdivision by outcome and dose. Results: 20 trials were included: four on prophylaxis, 12 on treatment, and four on postexposure prophylaxis. For prophylaxis, neuraminidase inhibitors had no effect against influenza-like illness or asymptomatic influenza. The efficacy of oral oseltamivir against symptomatic laboratory confirmed influenza was 61% (risk ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.18 to 0.85) at 75 mg daily and 73% (0.27, 0.11 to 0.67) at 150 mg daily. Inhaled zanamivir 10 mg daily was 62% efficacious (0.38, 0.17 to 0.85). Oseltamivir for postexposure prophylaxis had an efficacy of 58% (95% confidence interval 15% to 79%) and 84% (49% to 95%) in two trials of households. Zanamivir performed similarly. The hazard ratios for time to alleviation of influenza-like illness symptoms were in favour of treatment: 1.20 (95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.35) for oseltamivir and 1.24 (1.13 to 1.36) for zanamivir. Eight unpublished studies on complications were ineligible and therefore excluded. The remaining evidence suggests oseltamivir did not reduce influenza related lower respiratory tract complications (risk ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 1.35). From trial evidence, oseltamivir induced nausea (odds ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.10 to 2.93). Evidence of rarer adverse events from pharmacovigilance was of poor quality or possibly under-reported. Conclusion: Neuraminidase inhibitors have modest effectiveness against the symptoms of influenza in otherwise healthy adults. The drugs are effective postexposure against laboratory confirmed influenza, but this is a small component of influenza-like illness, so for this outcome neuraminidase inhibitors are not effective. Neuraminidase inhibitors might be regarded as optional for reducing the symptoms of seasonal influenza. Paucity of good data has undermined previous findings for oseltamivir’s prevention of complications from influenza. Independent randomised trials to resolve these uncertainties are needed

Terra Incognita. Globalisering, ecologie en rechtvaardige duurzaamheid

Despite all attempts by many governments in the world to ascribe to the Holy Grail of ‘sustainable development’, Ecosystem Earth is confronted with a gargantuan sustainability crisis. The West has seduced the rest of the world to copy its highly attractive, albeit unsustainable development paradigm. In a finite world the eco-impact of the global consumer class cannot be extrapolated to all human beings. The ecological crisis and the global justice issue are linked to each other as Siamese twins. Part 1 of Terra Incognita presents an environmental and economic analysis of the ecological crisis. Using the pre-analytical viewpoint of ecological economics, the authors develop a conceptual framework in which ecology and global justice are united in one vision. To unravel the roots of the contemporary crisis the authors describe in Part 2 the ecological history of the human-nature interaction. Based on an interdisciplinary approach they discuss the three historical lifestyles: those of the hunter-gatherers, the agrarian society and the industrial era. Finally, in Part 3 the authors explore potential systemic solutions, which need to keep or make the world livable. This innovative book is supported by the stimulating belief that the human future remains principally open and can still be influenced by each of us

Inorganic polymer cement from Fe-Silicate glasses: Varying the activating solution to glass ratio

Large volumes of Fe-silicate glasses - slags - are produced as residues of metal production and waste treatment processes. It would be interesting if these materials could become an alternative group of precursors for the synthesis of inorganic polymer (IP) cements. This paper investigates the polymerisation of Fe-silicate glasses of composition (in wt%) SiO2: 40; FeO: 30; CaO: 15; Al2O3: 8 and an activating solution of composition (in wt%) Na2O: 15; SiO2: 13; H2O: 72. The mass ratio of the activating solution to the glass (L/S) was varied from 0.3 to 1.0 and the effect on the IP chemistry, microstructure and properties was investigated. Despite the high Fe and low Al contents of the glass, an IP cement could be synthesised, resistant to water dissolution and delivering mortars of compressive strength >52 MPa after 28 days curing at room temperature when using a L/S ratio of 0.45. Lowering the ratio from 1.00 to 0.45 results in a significant improvement in compressive strength, a lower porosity and when immersed in water, Na dissolution is decreased and water pH is lower. Microstructural investigation indicates that when the amount of activating solution is decreased, the degree of glass dissolution is lower resulting in less IP formation and a more homogeneous IP chemistry. Compared to higher L/S ratios, the IP mortar has a more densely packed microstructure of partially dissolved glass and sand aggregates bound by the IP matrix. At lower L/S ratios, the formation of micro scale shrinkage cracks in the IP matrix is strongly reduced, while at higher L/S ratios, shrinkage cracking is more pronounced and individual micro-cracks connect to form more pronounced large scale cracks. At a L/S ratio of 0.45, the IP cement is composed of 90 wt% Fe-silicate glass and only 10 wt% Na-silicate (% of powder mix) and it is indicated that this percentage can still be reduced. As 90 wt% of this IP cement is composed of a waste material and as curing is performed at ambient temperatures, its production is expected to have important ecological and economic benefits.status: publishe