ASTM to Hold Virtual Organizational Meeting for Rare Earth Minerals Standards Activity
W. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA - ASTM International, in support of recent public-private dialogues (particularly those hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy) on the management of rare earth minerals, will be hosting an organizational meeting for the establishment of a new ASTM standards activity on rare earth minerals. The meeting will occur Wednesday, August 15, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. The no-fee event will be held virtually.
Previous DOE-hosted events on rare earth minerals have highlighted three primary REM-related pillars: developing new substitutes (material interchangeability); diversifying the supply chain; and reduction, recycling and reuse. Participants in those dialogues have expressed a need to identify standards solutions for segments of the rare earth production process and life cycle. A planning meeting held on May 16 at ASTM's Washington, DC, office, which included stakeholders from government, academia, industry and professional societies, outlined a series of additional potential standards topics, including REM characterization, efficiency of manufacture and safety (chemical, physical, and shipping and handling).