Key facts
- Aerospace suppliers are seeking alternatives to rare-earth materials due to supply disruptions from China.
- China is the dominant global producer of rare earths and materials like yttrium, indium phosphide, and tungsten.
- These materials are used in aerospace and defense systems, including jet engine coatings and turbine components.
- Experts estimate it will take years to break dependency on China for rare earths.
- The National Research Council of Canada is evaluating older ceramic oxides as potential replacements.
- European producer Oerlikon Metco is developing rare-earth-free thermal barrier coatings.
Aerospace suppliers are exploring alternatives to rare-earth materials as geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions from China, the world's dominant producer, raise concerns about critical mineral availability. These materials, including yttrium, indium phosphide, and tungsten, are essential for various aerospace and defense systems such as jet engine coatings and turbine components.
Despite initial efforts, experts suggest that replacing modern rare-earth-based materials or securing adequate domestic supply in the United States remains years away. This renewed interest in older, non-rare-earth alternatives, some dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, reflects worries that supply constraints and high prices could jeopardize key parts of the jet-engine supply chain.
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is leading research into whether materials like zirconium dioxide and other non-rare earth ceramic oxides can match the performance of current rare-earth-enhanced coatings. Rogerio Lima, a senior research officer at the NRC, noted that improved instruments and engineering might allow for enhancements to these older materials.
European thermal coatings producer Oerlikon Metco is already offering some rare-earth-free products and is developing more, including zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings that utilize magnesium and calcium oxides. Some U.S. thermal-coating suppliers are also investigating non-rare-earth options for less critical components, and recycling surplus coating materials is being considered as a way to ease supply constraints.
However, these efforts are seen as only partially alleviating the issue. Geoffrey Gertz, a former official on the White House National Security Council, stated that breaking dependency on China for rare earths will take years, not months, implying China will retain significant leverage in trade negotiations with the United States.