Innovative technologies, such as electric cars, improved display technologies, and renewable energy technology are changing the demand for raw materials and will dramatically change it in the future. Metals such as lithium, rhenium, terbium, and dysprosium could be needed in much larger amounts in the future than current production can provide. Industry should react to this prognosis by improving production efficiency, focusing on recycling, and looking for possible substitute materials.

Production and Demand of Raw Materials for Emerging Technologies

(estimated demand values for 2013 and 2035; all data taken from [1])

Selected Uses of Raw Materials for Emerging Technologies

(RFID = radio-frequency identification, LED = light-emitting diode; all data taken from [1])

Largest Producers of Raw Materials for Emerging Technologies

(2015 values; all data taken from [2])

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References

• [1] Rohstoffe für Zukunftstechnologien 2016 (in German),
  F. Marscheider-Weidemann, S. Langkau, T. Hummen, L. Erdmann, L. Tercero Espinoza, G. Angerer, M. Marwede, S. Benecke,
  DERA Rohstoffinformationen 2016, 28.
• [2] Mineral Commodity Summaries,
  U.S. Geological Survey 2016.
  http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/

 

Also of Interest

• All Industry Roundups