Critical materials cut-offs feared
US high technology depends on imported materials, many from the Soviet Union, South Africa, and other areas which could restrict the flow of strategic materials to the US. A combination of nationalizaton moves, continued poverty, and rising expectations in the Third World countries has changed market conditions and could lead to a materials cartel. The Soviet Union succeeded in slowing Chinese development, for example, by reducing exports in the 1960s. Comparisons of US import dependence with that of the Soviet Union show the US a significant disadvantage. Another comparison identifies the major uses of high-technology materials. Corrective measures to this vulnerability include assessing the opportunity for substitutions and developing a vulnerability index for each material that weighs import dependence against a range of critical factors. Other steps include stockpiling, recycling, conservation, and research into new alloys and new designs. 3 figures, 2 tables. (DCK)
- Research Organization:
- 21st Century Research, North Bergen, NJ
- OSTI ID:
- 5697524
- Journal Information:
- High Technol.; (United States), Vol. 1:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mineral myths
Minerals: the resource gap