Japan Urban Mines Reserve Large Quantity Rare Metals

NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science), Japanese independent administrative institution, reported that rare metal volume accumulated in Japanese “urban mines,” which can be recycled from waste products, almost equal to the world largest resource countries. According to the calculation, Japanese indium accumulation in domestic urban mines represents 61% against the global total reserves. Japan may improve its self-supply ratio of rare metals by establishment of efficient and profitable recycling systems for the urban mines.NIMS estimated accumulations of 20 metals in Japanese urban mines, such as copper, iron, aluminium, gold, silver, indium, antimony and rare earths. The indium accumulation was calculated at 1,700 tonnes while the global indium reserve is 2,800 tonnes. Japan could become the world largest reservoir of indium according to the estimation as well as lead, gold and silver.Japanese antimony accumulation was estimated at the world thirdly largest reserve volume, though more than 90% of antimony is actually supplied from China. The accumulation of rare earths was calculated at the world sixth largest reserve volume and the tungsten the fifth. Japanese urban mines reserve even platinum and tantalum at the global thirdly largest reserve volumes.