YTTRIUM1/ (Data in metric tons of yttrium oxide (Y2O3) content, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: The rare-earth element, yttrium, was mined by one company as a constituent of the mineral bastnasite, but was not recovered as a separate element during processing. Bastnasite, a rare-earth fluocarbonate mineral, was mined as a primary product in California by surface methods. Bastnasite's yttrium content is very small and represents a potential minor source of the element. Yttrium used by the domestic industry was imported primarily as compounds. Yttrium was used in many applications. Principal uses were in phosphors used in color televisions and computer monitors, trichromatic fluorescent lights, temperature sensors, and X-ray intensifying screens. As a stabilizer in zirconia, yttrium was used in wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant cutting tools, seals and bearings, high-temperature refractories for continuous casting nozzles, jet engine coatings, oxygen sensors in automobile engines, and simulant gemstones. In electronics, yttrium-iron-garnets (YIG) were components in microwave radar to control high frequency signals. Yttrium was an important component in yttrium-aluminum garnets (YAG) laser crystals used in industrial cutting and welding, medical and dental surgical procedures, temperature and distance sensing, photoluminescence, photochemistry, digital communications, and nonlinear optics. Yttrium was also used in heating element alloys, superalloys, and high-temperature superconductors. The approximate distribution in 1995 by end use was as follows: lamp and cathode ray tube phosphors, 68%; structural ceramics and components, 29%; oxygen sensors, laser crystals, and miscellaneous, 3%. Salient Statistics--United States: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production, mine W W W W -- Imports for consumption: In monazite -- -- -- -- -- In xenotime and yttrium concentrate2/ NA NA NA NA NA Exports, in ore and concentrate NA NA NA NA NA Consumption, estimated NA NA NA 344 350 Price, dollars:3/ Monazite concentrate, per metric ton 494-532 207-241 204-238 233-272 229-267 Yttrium concentrate, per kilogram, 60% REO 32-33 32-33 NA NA NA Yttrium oxide, per kilogram, 99.0% to 99.99% purity 116 15-116 16-116 20-116 17-110 Yttrium metal, per kilogram, 99.0% to 99.9% purity 550 140-550 135-350 135-350 150-200 Stocks, processor, yearend NA NA NA NA NA Employment4/ 411 372 352 350 280 Net import reliancee/ 5/ 100 100 100 100 100 Recycling: Small quantities, primarily from laser crystals and synthetic garnets. Import Sources (1994):e/ Yttrium compounds: China 63%; United Kingdom, 29%; Hong Kong, 5%; Japan, 2%; and France, 1%. Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN6/ 12/31/95 12/31/95 Thorium ores and concentrates (monazite) 2612.20.0000 Free Free. Rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or inter- alloyed 2805.30.0000 5.0% ad val. 31.3% ad val. Yttrium bearing materials and compounds containing by weight >19% but < 85% Y2O3 2846.90.4000 Free 25% ad val. Rare-earth compounds, including yttrium oxide, yttrium nitrate, and other individual compounds 2846.90.8000 3.7% ad val. 25% ad val. Depletion Allowance: Percentage method: Monazite: 22% on thorium content and 14% on yttrium and rare-earth content (Domestic), 14% (Foreign). Xenotime: 14% (Domestic and Foreign). Government Stockpile: None. Prepared by James B. Hedrick, (703) 648-7725. YTTRIUM Events, Trends, and Issues: Yttrium prices firmed during the year as China restricted the number of exporters. Despite the slightly higher prices, yttrium markets continued to be competitive. The U.S. economy showed strong growth in 1995 while demand for yttrium in most uses increased. Yttrium was consumed primarily in the form of high-purity compounds, especially the oxide and nitrate. Yttrium-bearing deposits are being evaluated in several countries. World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Mine production7/ Reserves8/ Reserve base8/ 1994 1995e/ United States W -- 120,000 130,000 Australia 60 60 100,000 110,000 Brazil 15 15 400 1,500 Canada -- -- 3,300 4,000 China 500 500 220,000 240,000 India 50 50 36,000 38,000 Malaysia 5 5 13,000 21,000 South Africa 14 14 4,400 5,000 Sri Lanka 2 2 240 260 Thailand 9 10 600 600 Former Soviet Union9/ 75 75 9,000 10,000 Zaire 1 1 570 630 World total (rounded) 10/ 730 10/ 730 510,000 560,000 World Resources: Large resources of yttrium in monazite and xenotime are available worldwide in ancient and recent placer deposits, weathered clay deposits, carbonatites, and uranium ores. Additional large subeconomic resources of yttrium occur in other monazite-bearing deposits, apatite-magnetite rocks, sedimentary phosphate deposits, deposits of columbium-tantalum minerals, and certain uranium ores, especially those of the Blind River District in Canada. It is probable that the world's resources are very large relative to expected demand. Substitutes: Substitutes for yttrium are available for some applications, but generally are much less effective. In most uses, especially in phosphors, electronics, and lasers, yttrium is not subject to substitution by other elements. As a stabilizer in zirconia ceramics, yttria may be substituted with calcia or magnesia. e/Estimated. NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 1/See also Rare-Earths and Scandium. 2/This import category typically includes yttrium concentrates. 3/Monazite concentrate price derived from Metals Bulletin; yttrium concentrate prices from Industrial Minerals (London); yttrium oxide and metal prices from Elements (a TradeTech publication), Molycorp Inc., and Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Co. 4/Total employment at a rare-earth mine in California and at heavy-mineral sands operations in Florida and New Jersey. Employees were not assigned to specific commodities in calculating employment. 5/Essentially all yttrium consumed domestically was imported or refined from imported ores and concentrates. 6/See Appendix B. 7/Includes yttrium contained in rare-earth ores. 8/See Appendix C for definitions. 9/As constituted before Dec. 1991. 10/Excludes U.S. mine production. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996