Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes Overview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets.

摘要

Light-emitting diode (LED) use is increasing in automotive, electronics, and lighting display applications and is expected to increase in general lighting applications in response to U.S. Government regulation, growing demand, and technological improvements. An adequate and reliable supply of raw materials is essential to meet this increasing demand for LEDs. Goals of increasing domestic and global energy independence, minimizing the economic effects of rising fossil fuel costs, and reducing greenhouse global gas emissions have contributed to government policy decisions placing greater emphasis on the development and implementation of devices that are more energy efficient. Currently (2011), the traditional incandescent light bulb typically produces 15 lumens of visible light per watt of electricity consumed (lm/W), and only about 5 percent of the electrical energy that goes into the bulb is converted to visible light (a measure of efficiency). The incandescent light bulb has a relatively short life span of 750 to 2,000 hours. Thus, it requires more energy and is more expensive to operate than newer types of lighting, such as halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), LEDs, or organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) (Humphries, 2008; U.S. Department of Energy, 2011a, b). Regulations restricting the sale of incandescent bulbs in Australia, Brazil, the European Union, and other areas began to be implemented in 2005. The United States enacted regulations halting the manufacture or export of incandescent bulbs in 2007. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110140) set standards for increasing the energy efficiency of light bulbs by 30 percent.