The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has distributed a proposal for a new field of activity on rare earth. As the U.S. member body to ISO, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) invites all interested stakeholders to submit comments on the proposal by Friday, July 10, 2015.
The new work item proposal, submitted by the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC), outlines plans to develop a three-category standard system for the full life cycle of rare earth, intended to help stakeholders reach a consensus in production and trade, by promoting exchange of rare earth technologies globally. The proposed standard system includes the following categories:
Category 1, Basic standards, to cover: Terms and definitions; designation system; packing marking; and transport and storage
Category 2, Testing and analysis standards, to cover: chemical analysis of rare earth concentrates; metals and material; determination of particle size; and specific surface area of rare earth compounds.
Category 3, Product standards, to cover: rare earth product standards, from concentrates to materials, including reuse and recycling aspects.
Rare earth stakeholders include producers, consumers, and traders worldwide. Consumers of rare earth are linked to specific sectors, including permanent magnets, green lighting products, electric and household appliances, and vehicle catalysts, among others.
Interested parties are invited to review the proposal and submit comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI director of international policy ([email protected]), by July 10. All comments received will be compiled and used in the development of a recommended ANSI position and comments on this proposal that will be submitted to the AIC for approval prior to ISO's August 19, 2015, deadline for voting.
ANSI has published an explanatory information document outlining the process used to develop U.S. positions on issues and activities under consideration by ISO and IEC. Click here to download the document.