Technology and market perspective for future Value Added Materials

VAMs have the potential to substitute for
raw materials. Still, interviewed experts
see such applications as challenges for
future research.
According to the secondary sources of this
study, the research and industry deployments
in nearest future will focus on:
improved physical methods for minerals
concentration (enrichment of nonferrous
ores, froth flotation);
new technologies for production of
precious metals;
development of chloride metallurgy;
processing systems for re-use and
recycling;
innovative use of alternative energy
sources for processing raw materials
and metals recovery.
4.1.6 Resource efficiency and climate
action
Global warming is no doubt one of the
most serious problems facing humanity
today. Two separate dimensions of global
warming correspond to different kinds of
advanced technologies under discussion.
First is the prevention of the global warming
itself (reduction of emissions, clean
production, less pollution in general). Second
is the technological efforts to mitigate
the consequences of global warming
(natural disasters such as flooding, forest
fires, hurricanes, desertification).
Global warming is also connected with
other Grand Challenges, as it will have an
impact on the long-term health and economic
well-being of current and future
generations.
In order to prevent a downward spiral, the
current strategy underlines the need to
reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases by
using the technology, know-how, and practical
solutions already at our disposal. Secondly
the strategy purses promising new
technologies, including Value Added Materials,
that will enable us to produce highly
efficient products with less pollution,
thanks to knowledge-intensive production
processes.
Interviews again revealed the important
relationship between the
research of Value Added Materials
and their market implementation.
Although by definition VAMs are
knowledge intensive, their market
implementation is dependent on
relatively simple (short and inexpensive)
production processes. Only the
VAMs that are able to be used in
mass production with high cost efficiency
have the potential of addressing
environmental challenges. This is
due to the direct linkage between
complexity, cost and pollution impact
of the production processes. The
more complicated the production
process, the more energy it takes;
therefore the VAM becomes more
expensive and finally more polluting.
The European Commission followed this
strategy to tackle global warming since the
introduction of climate-related initiatives
in 1991, when it issued the first Community
strategy to limit carbon dioxide (CO 2 )
emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Several important directives were introduced
at that time, including those to
promote electricity from renewable energy,
voluntary commitments by car makers
to reduce CO 2 emissions by 25 per cent
and proposals on the taxation of energy
products. All those fields benefit from
implementation of Value Added Materials.
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