A technology-critical element (TCE) is a chemical element that is critical to modern and emerging technologies,[1][2][3] resulting in a striking increase in their usage.[1][4][5][6] Similar terms include critical elements,[7]critical materials,[1]critical raw materials,[5][8]energy-critical elements[4] and elements of security.[9]
Many advanced engineering applications, such as clean-energy production, communications and computing, use emergent technologies that utilize numerous chemical elements.[4] In 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) to address the issue.[10] In 2015, the European COST Action TD1407 created a network of scientists working and interested on TCEs, from an environmental perspective to potential human health threats.[11]
A study estimated losses of 61 metals to help the development of circular economy strategies, showing that usespans of, often scarce, tech-critical metals are short.[12][13]
Sample uses of technology-critical elements (excluding rare-earth) [11]
Element
Compound
Applications
Gallium (Ga)
GaAs, GaN
Wafers for (a) integrated circuits in high-performance computers and telecommunications equipment and (b) LEDs, photodetectors, solar cells and medical equipment
Trimethyl Ga, triethyl Ga
Epitaxial layering process for the production of LEDs
Germanium (Ge)
Ge
Substrate for wafers for high-efficiency photovoltaic cells
Ge single crystals
Detectors (airport security)
Hafnium (Hf)
Hf
Aerospace alloys and ceramics
HfO2
Semiconductors and data storage devices
Indium (In)
In2O5Sn
Transparent conductive thin film coatings on flat-panel displays (e.g. liquid crystal displays)
Niobium (Nb)
CuNbGaSe (CIGS)
Thin film solar cells
HSLA ferro-Nb (60 % Nb), Nb metal
High-grade structural steel for vehicle bodies
NiNb
Superalloys for jet engines and turbine blades
Nb powder, Nb oxide
Surface acoustic wave filters (sensor and touch screen technologies)
Platinum-group metals (PGMs)
Pd, Pt, Rh metals
Catalytic converters for the car industry
Platinum (Pt)
Pt metal
Catalyst refining of petroleum and magnetic coating of computer hard discs
Iridium (Ir)
Ir
Crucibles for the electronics industry
Osmium (Os)
Os alloys
High wear applications such as instrument pivots and electrical contacts
Tantalum (Ta)
Ta oxide
Capacitors in automotive electronics, personal computers and cell phones
Ta metal
Pacemakers, prosthetic devices
Tellurium (Te)
CdTe
Solar cells
HgCdTe, BiTe
Thermal cooling devices and electronics products
Zirconium (Zr)
Zr
Ceramics for solid oxide fuel cells, jet turbine coatings, and smartphones
Environmental considerationsedit
The extraction and processing of TCEs may cause adverse environmental impacts. The reliance on TCEs and critical metals like cobalt can run the risk of the “green curse,” or using certain metals in green technologies whose mining may be damaging to the environment.[15]
The clearing of soil and deforestation that is involved with mining can impact the surrounding biodiversity through land degradation and habitat loss. Acid mine drainage can kill surrounding aquatic life and harm ecosystems. Mining activities and leaching of TCEs can pose significant hazards to human health. Wastewater produced by the processing of TCEs can contaminate groundwater and streams. Toxic dust containing concentrations of metals and other chemicals can be released into the air and surrounding bodies of water.
Deforestation caused by mining results in the release of stored carbon from the ground to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2).[15]
^ abcU.S. Department of Energy. Critical Materials Strategy. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy.
^"Technology Critical Elements and their Relevance to the Global Environment Facility" (PDF). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
^Dang, Duc Huy; Filella, Montserrat; Omanović, Dario (1 November 2021). "Technology-Critical Elements: An Emerging and Vital Resource that Requires more In-depth Investigation". Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 81 (4): 517–520. Bibcode:2021ArECT..81..517D. doi:10.1007/s00244-021-00892-6. ISSN 1432-0703. PMID 34655300. S2CID 238995249.
^ abcAPS (American Physical Society) and MRS (The Materials Research Society) (2011). Energy Critical Elements: Securing Materials for Emerging Technologies(PDF). Washington, D.C.: APS.
^ abEuropean Commission (2010). Critical Raw Materials for the EU. Report of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials.
^Resnick Institute (2011). Critical Materials for Sustainable Energy Applications(PDF). Pasadena, CA: Resnick Institute for Sustainable Energy Science.
^Gunn, G. (2014). Critical Metals Handbook. Wiley.
^European Commission (2014). Report on Critical Raw Materials for the EU. Report of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials. European Commission.
^Parthemore, C. (2011). Elements of Security. Mitigating the Risks of U.S. Dependence on Critical Minerals. Center for New America Security.
^Turner, Roger (21 June 2019). "A Strategic Approach to Rare-Earth Elements as Global Trade Tensions Flare". www.greentechmedia.com.
^ abCobelo-García, A.; Filella, M.; Croot, P.; Frazzoli, C.; Du Laing, G.; Ospina-Alvarez, N.; Rauch, S.; Salaun, P.; Schäfer, J. (2015). "COST action TD1407: network on technology-critical elements (NOTICE)—from environmental processes to human health threats". Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 22 (19): 15188–15194. Bibcode:2015ESPR...2215188C. doi:10.1007/s11356-015-5221-0. PMC4592495. PMID 26286804. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
^"New life cycle assessment study shows useful life of tech-critical metals to be short". University of Bayreuth. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
^Charpentier Poncelet, Alexandre; Helbig, Christoph; Loubet, Philippe; Beylot, Antoine; Muller, Stéphanie; Villeneuve, Jacques; Laratte, Bertrand; Thorenz, Andrea; Tuma, Axel; Sonnemann, Guido (19 May 2022). "Losses and lifetimes of metals in the economy" (PDF). Nature Sustainability. 5 (8): 717–726. Bibcode:2022NatSu...5..717C. doi:10.1038/s41893-022-00895-8. ISSN 2398-9629. S2CID 248894322.
^ abAli, S.; Katima, J. (2020). Technology Critical Elements and the GEF, A STAP Advisory Document. Washington, DC.: Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility.
^ abAli, S.; Katima, J. (2020). Technology Critical Elements and their Relevance to the Global Environment Facility. Washington, DC.: Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility.
April 12, 2024
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A technology critical element TCE is a chemical element that is critical to modern and emerging technologies 1 2 3 resulting in a striking increase in their usage 1 4 5 6 Similar terms include critical elements 7 critical materials 1 critical raw materials 5 8 energy critical elements 4 and elements of security 9 Many advanced engineering applications such as clean energy production communications and computing use emergent technologies that utilize numerous chemical elements 4 In 2013 the U S Department of Energy DOE created the Critical Materials Institute CMI to address the issue 10 In 2015 the European COST Action TD1407 created a network of scientists working and interested on TCEs from an environmental perspective to potential human health threats 11 A study estimated losses of 61 metals to help the development of circular economy strategies showing that usespans of often scarce tech critical metals are short 12 13 Contents 1 List of technology critical elements 2 Applications of technology critical elements 3 Environmental considerations 4 See also 5 ReferencesList of technology critical elements editThe set of elements usually considered as TCEs vary depending on the source but they usually include Seventeen rare earth elements cerium dysprosium erbium europium gadolinium holmium lanthanum lutetium neodymium praseodymium promethium samarium scandium terbium thulium ytterbium yttrium The six platinum group elements iridium osmium palladium platinum rhodium ruthenium Twelve assorted elements antimony beryllium caesium cobalt gallium germanium indium lithium niobium tantalum tellurium tungstenApplications of technology critical elements editTCEs have a variety of engineering applications in fields such as energy storage electronics telecommunication and transportation 14 These elements are utilized in cellular phones batteries solar panel s electric motor s and fiber optic cables Emerging technologies also incorporate TCEs Most notably TCEs are used in the data networking of smart devices tied to the Internet of Things IoT and automation 14 Sample uses of technology critical elements excluding rare earth 11 Element Compound ApplicationsGallium Ga GaAs GaN Wafers for a integrated circuits in high performance computers and telecommunications equipment and b LEDs photodetectors solar cells and medical equipmentTrimethyl Ga triethyl Ga Epitaxial layering process for the production of LEDsGermanium Ge Ge Substrate for wafers for high efficiency photovoltaic cellsGe single crystals Detectors airport security Hafnium Hf Hf Aerospace alloys and ceramicsHfO2 Semiconductors and data storage devicesIndium In In2O5Sn Transparent conductive thin film coatings on flat panel displays e g liquid crystal displays Niobium Nb CuNbGaSe CIGS Thin film solar cellsHSLA ferro Nb 60 Nb Nb metal High grade structural steel for vehicle bodiesNiNb Superalloys for jet engines and turbine bladesNb powder Nb oxide Surface acoustic wave filters sensor and touch screen technologies Platinum group metals PGMs Pd Pt Rh metals Catalytic converters for the car industryPlatinum Pt Pt metal Catalyst refining of petroleum and magnetic coating of computer hard discsIridium Ir Ir Crucibles for the electronics industryOsmium Os Os alloys High wear applications such as instrument pivots and electrical contactsTantalum Ta Ta oxide Capacitors in automotive electronics personal computers and cell phonesTa metal Pacemakers prosthetic devicesTellurium Te CdTe Solar cellsHgCdTe BiTe Thermal cooling devices and electronics productsZirconium Zr Zr Ceramics for solid oxide fuel cells jet turbine coatings and smartphonesEnvironmental considerations editThe extraction and processing of TCEs may cause adverse environmental impacts The reliance on TCEs and critical metals like cobalt can run the risk of the green curse or using certain metals in green technologies whose mining may be damaging to the environment 15 The clearing of soil and deforestation that is involved with mining can impact the surrounding biodiversity through land degradation and habitat loss Acid mine drainage can kill surrounding aquatic life and harm ecosystems Mining activities and leaching of TCEs can pose significant hazards to human health Wastewater produced by the processing of TCEs can contaminate groundwater and streams Toxic dust containing concentrations of metals and other chemicals can be released into the air and surrounding bodies of water Deforestation caused by mining results in the release of stored carbon from the ground to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide CO2 15 See also editConflict resource List of elements facing shortage Rare earth element Strategic material Renewable energy Conservation areas recycling and rare earth elementsReferences edit a b c U S Department of Energy Critical Materials Strategy Washington D C U S Department of Energy Technology Critical Elements and their Relevance to the Global Environment Facility PDF Retrieved 10 July 2022 Dang Duc Huy Filella Montserrat Omanovic Dario 1 November 2021 Technology Critical Elements An Emerging and Vital Resource that Requires more In depth Investigation Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 81 4 517 520 Bibcode 2021ArECT 81 517D doi 10 1007 s00244 021 00892 6 ISSN 1432 0703 PMID 34655300 S2CID 238995249 a b c APS American Physical Society and MRS The Materials Research Society 2011 Energy Critical Elements Securing Materials for Emerging Technologies PDF Washington D C APS a b European Commission 2010 Critical Raw Materials for the EU Report of the Ad hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials Resnick Institute 2011 Critical Materials for Sustainable Energy Applications PDF Pasadena CA Resnick Institute for Sustainable Energy Science Gunn G 2014 Critical Metals Handbook Wiley European Commission 2014 Report on Critical Raw Materials for the EU Report of the Ad hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials European Commission Parthemore C 2011 Elements of Security Mitigating the Risks of U S Dependence on Critical Minerals Center for New America Security Turner Roger 21 June 2019 A Strategic Approach to Rare Earth Elements as Global Trade Tensions Flare www greentechmedia com a b Cobelo Garcia A Filella M Croot P Frazzoli C Du Laing G Ospina Alvarez N Rauch S Salaun P Schafer J 2015 COST action TD1407 network on technology critical elements NOTICE from environmental processes to human health threats Environ Sci Pollut Res 22 19 15188 15194 Bibcode 2015ESPR 2215188C doi 10 1007 s11356 015 5221 0 PMC 4592495 PMID 26286804 nbsp This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4 0 license New life cycle assessment study shows useful life of tech critical metals to be short University of Bayreuth Retrieved 23 June 2022 Charpentier Poncelet Alexandre Helbig Christoph Loubet Philippe Beylot Antoine Muller Stephanie Villeneuve Jacques Laratte Bertrand Thorenz Andrea Tuma Axel Sonnemann Guido 19 May 2022 Losses and lifetimes of metals in the economy PDF Nature Sustainability 5 8 717 726 Bibcode 2022NatSu 5 717C doi 10 1038 s41893 022 00895 8 ISSN 2398 9629 S2CID 248894322 a b Ali S Katima J 2020 Technology Critical Elements and the GEF A STAP Advisory Document Washington DC Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility a b Ali S Katima J 2020 Technology Critical Elements and their Relevance to the Global Environment Facility Washington DC Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to the Global Environment Facility Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Technology critical element amp oldid 1196727599, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
