Domestic Yttrium Consumption Trends in Japan

Yttrium tends to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and exhibits similar chemical properties as rare earth elements. Yttrium sources are typically concentrated in China, and there are concerns about supply security. Yttrium is used in small, but essential, quantities in a variety of advanced industrial sectors, for example, in phosphors, advanced ceramics, optical glasses, and batteries. In terms of resource security, it is important to verify the domestic yttrium consumption trends. In order to characterize the domestic yttrium consumption trends in Japan, we tracked the historical yttrium consumption patterns from 2001 to 2011 by applying the bottom-up approach and illustrated the recent domestic yttrium flow by using a substance flow analysis. The results showed that the total yttrium consumption has remained steady over 10 years, from 1,124 tonnes (t) in 2001 to 967 t in 2011. Recent consumption in 2011 was driven primarily by the use of yttrium in fluorescent lamps (462 t), nickel metal hydride batteries (185 t), and optic glasses (149 t). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]