In our ongoing efforts to provide you with broader communications
and industry information, we are pleased to issue another Industry Bulletin
discussing recent trends in the markets of various rare and strategic
metals. In this edition, we focus on the aerospace industry where the trend
toward reduced aircraft weight and energy efficiency is creating new demand
for rare metals.
In April, Avalon attended the Metals for the Aerospace Industry 2008
Conference held in Barcelona, Spain, and consulting geologist, Dr. David L.
Trueman, P.Geo, was one of the invited speakers. His presentation, entitled
From the Ground Up
a Miner's View of the Rare Metals highlighted the growing applications for rare metals such as the
Rare Earths, Lithium, Indium, Yttrium, Gallium, Beryllium, Tantalum and
Zirconium in the context of supply sources of these materials, current
production volumes and price trends. Dr. Trueman's presentation can be
found on Avalon Ventures website by accessing the following link:
http://www.avalonventures.com/_resources/Barcelona_presentation.pdf
Bill Bihlman of AeroStrategy Ltd., a US- based management consultancy firm,
commented that "We are still bullish that there will be more aircraft
deliveries in the next five years, but in the next 20 years we expect
demand to double and exceed 20,000 units. This demand is going to see a
significant increase in overall metal consumption in aircraft". As
noted by Dr. Trueman, modern aircraft use rare metals in many applications
including electronics, batteries, engine components and the airframe.
The trend toward larger aircraft such as the Airbus A380 is creating
increased demand for lightweight construction materials such as
aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloy. "While there is glass fibre and
composites used in airframes, most of it is still metal," Bihlman noted.
Al-Li alloys, which are continuously being improved upon, are targeted as
advanced materials for aerospace technology primarily because of their low
density, high specific modulus, excellent fatigue and cryogenic toughness
properties. This trend will create additional demand for lithium, which is
already in increasing demand for re-chargeable battery applications.
http://www.reade.com/Products/Alloys/Aluminum%11Lithium-(Al%11Li)-Alloys.html
https://www.alcoa.com/global/en/innovation/papers_patents/secure_doc.asp?use
The increased demand for lithium is translating into higher prices which
have risen from less than US$1/lb three years ago to approaching US$4/lb
today for the chemical form lithium carbonate.. Avalon has large lithium
resources at its Separation Rapids project near Kenora, Ontario and large
resources of other rare metals at its Thor Lake deposit in the NWT.
For further information please visit Avalon's website at http://www.AvalonVentures.com
If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to post them
on Avalon's official investor relations hub at http://www.agoracom.com/IR/Avalon .
Regards,
AGORACOM Investor Relations
|