Roderick G. Eggert

Research Professor
Deputy Director of Critical Materials Innovation Hub

Biography

Roderick G. Eggert is deputy director of the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, a research consortium established by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2013, to accelerate innovation in energy materials. Between 1988 and 2006, he was editor of Resources Policy, an international journal of mineral economics and policy. Between 1998 and 2013, he was Economics and Business Division Director.

His research and teaching focus on mineral economics and public policy – especially, in recent years, on critical minerals and materials. He chaired the U.S. National Research Council committee that wrote the 2008 book, Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy (National Academies Press). He has testified on critical minerals and materials at committee hearings of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and European Parliament, and the Canadian House of Commons.

Education

  • PhD, Mineral Economics, Pennsylvania State University, 1983
  • MS, Geochemistry and Mineralogy, Pennsylvania State University, 1980
  • BA, Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, 1978

 

Research Areas

Areas of Specialization

  • Natural resource and environmental economics
  • Applied microeconomics

Areas of Application

  • Mineral exploration
  • Mining, minerals, and sustainable development
  • Mineral policy
  • Mineral and metal markets

Selected Publications

EXPERT PANEL REVIEWS

American Physical Society (APS), Materials Research Society (MRS), American Chemical Society (ACS), Responding to the U.S. Research Community’s Liquid Helium Crisis (Washington, D.C., APS, MRS and ACS, 2016).

American Physical Society (APS) and the Materials Research Society (MRS), Energy Critical Elements: Securing Materials for Emerging Technologies (APS and MRS, 2011).  I was a member of the study committee.

Committee on Critical Mineral Impacts on the U.S. Economy, U.S. National Research Council, Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy (Washington, D.C., National Academies Press, 2008).  I chaired the study committee.

JOURNAL ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS

“Long-run availability of mineral resources: The dynamic case of lithium,” Resources Policy, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105226. Co-authored with Maxwell Fleming and Sangita Kayatri Kannan.

“Grand challenges in anticipating and responding to critical materials supply risks,” Joule, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2024.03.001. Co-authored with A. Y. Ku, E. Alonso, T. Graedel, K. Habib, A. Hool, T. Muta, D. Schrijvers, L. Tercero, T. Vakhitova, and C. Veeh.

“Measuring trade flows of sintered NdFeB magnets and Li-ion batteries: reported vs. Embedded US imports,” Mineral Economics, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-023-00381-3. Co-authored with Hannah Gagarin. 

“Cobalt mineralogy at the Iron Creek deposit, Idaho cobalt belt, USA: Implications for domestic critical mineral production,” Geology, June 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/G51160.1. Co-authored with E.A. Holley, N. Zaronikola, J. Trouba, K. Pfaff, J. Thompson, E. Spiller and C. Anderson.

“Public policy toward critical materials: A false dichotomy, a messy middle ground and seven guiding principles,” pp. 71-80 in Sophia Kalantzakos, editor, Critical Minerals, the Climate Crisis and the Tech Imperium (Cham, Switzerland, Springer, 2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25577-9_4

 “Closing the Infrastructure Gap for Decarbonization: The Case for an Integrated Mineral Supply Agreement,” Environmental Science and Technology, 2022, 56, 22, 15280-15289. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c05413Co-authored with S.H. Ali, S. Kalantzakos, R. Gauss, C. Karayannopoulos, J. Klinger, X. Pu, K. Vekasi and R.K. Perrons.

“How cerium and lanthanum as coproducts promote stable rare earth production and new alloys,” Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-022-00562-4. Co-authored with Z.C. Sims, M.S. Kesler, H.B. Henderson, E. Castillo, T. Fishman, D. Weiss, S.K. McCall, and O. Rios.

“The role of industrial actors in the circular economy for critical raw materials: a framework with case studies along a range of industries,” Mineral Economics, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-022-00304-8. Co-authored with A. Cimprich, S. B. Young, D. Schrijvers, A. Y. Ku, C. Hagelüken, P. Christmann . . . A. Hool.

“Critical materials for permanent magnets,” chapter 10 in John J. Croat and John Ormerod, editors, Modern Permanent Magnets (Cambridge, MA, Woodhead Publishing, an imprint of Elsevier, 2022). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-88658-1.00003-0. Co-authored with Alexander H. King.

“Global Electrification of Vehicles and Intertwined Material Supply Chains of Cobalt, Copper and Nickel,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105198. Co-authored with Ruby T. Nguyen, Mike H. Severson and Corby G. Anderson.

“Understanding relative metal prices and availability: Combining physical and economic perspectives,” Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13087. Co-authored with Brett J. Watson.

“Reconciling Diverging Views on Mineral Depletion: A Modified Cumulative Availability Curve Applied to Copper Resources,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104896. Co-authored with Emilio Castillo.

“Greater circularity leads to lower criticality, and other links between criticality and the circular economy,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104718. Co-authored with L.Tercero E., D. Schrijvers, W.Q. Chen, J. Dewulf, J. Goddin, K. Habib, C. Hageluken, A.J. Hurd, R. Kleijn, A.Y. Ku, M.H. Lee, K. Nansai, P. Nuss, D. Peck, E. Petavratzi, G. Sonnemann, E. van der Voet . . . A. Hool.

“A review of methods and data to determine raw material criticality,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104617. Co-authored with D. Schrijvers, A. Hool, G.A. Blengini, W.Q Chen, J. Dewulf, L. Ellen, R. Gauss, J. Goddin, K. Habib, C. Hageluken, A. Hirohata, M. Hofmann-Amtenbrink, J. Kosmol, M. Le Gleuher, M. Grohol, A. Ku, M-H. Lee, G. Liu, K. Nansai, P. Nuss, D. Peck, A. Reller, G. Sonnemann, L. Tercero, A. Thorenz, and P. Wager.

“China’s public policies toward rare earths, 1975-2018,” Mineral Economics, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-019-00214-2. Coauthored with Yuzhou Shen and Ruthann Moomy.

“Costs, Substitution, and Material Use: The Case of Rare Earth Magnets,” Environmental Science & Technology, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05495. Co-authored with Braeton J. Smith.

“Public policy and future mineral supplies,” Resources Policy, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.01.006. Co-authored with J.E. Tilton, P.C.F. Crowson, J.H. DeYoung Jr., M. Ericsson, J.I. Guzman, D. Humphreys, G. Lagos, P. Maxwell, M. Radetzki, D.A. Singer and F.W. Wellmer.

“Market Analysis for Mineral Property Feasibility Studies,” chapter 8, pp. 209-230 in Richard L. Bullock and Scott Mernitz, editors, Mineral Property Evaluation: Handbook for Feasibility Studies and Due Diligence (Englewood, Colorado, USA, Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 2018).

“Simulating producer responses to selected Chinese rare earth policies,” Resources Policy, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2017.10.013.  Co-authored with Maxwell Brown.

“Materials, critical materials and clean-energy technologies,” EPJ Web of Conferences, volume 148, 2017, in D. Cahen, L. Cifarelli, D. Ginley, A. Slaoui, A. Terrsai and F. Wagner, editors, 5th course of the MRS-EMRS “Materials for Energy and Sustainability” and 3rd course of the “EPS-SIF International School of Energy.” DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714800003.

“The Rare Earths as Critical Materials,” pp. 19-46 in Jean-Claude Bünzli and Vitalij Pecharsky, editors, Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths, volume 50 (Amsterdam, Elsevier, 2016). Co-authored with A.H. King and K.J. Gschneidner Jr.

“Rare earths: market disruption, innovation, and global supply chains,” Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2016. DOI:10.1146/annurev-environ-110615-085700. Co-authored with Cyrus Wadia, Corby Anderson, Diana Bauer, Fletcher Fields, Lawrence Meinert and Patrick Taylor.

“Economic Perspectives on Sustainability, Mineral Development, and Metal Life Cycles,” pp. 467-484 in Reed M. Izatt, editor, Metal Sustainability: Global Challenges, Consequences, and Prospects (New York, Wiley & Sons, 2016).

“Potential uranium supply from phosphoric acid: A U.S. analysis comparing solvent extraction and ion exchange recovery,” Resources Policy, 2016. DOI:10.1016/j.resourpol.2016.06.004. Co-authored with Hayeon Kim, Brett W. Carlsen and Brent Dixon.

“The present and future silver cost component in crystalline silicon PV module manufacturing,” Photovoltaics International, March 2016, vol. 31, pp. 41-52. Co-authored with Michael Redlinger and Michael Woodhouse.

“Antworten auf die Kriticalitaet von Materialien: Historische Beispiele” [“Responding to Material Criticality: Historical Examples”], pp. 29-35 in P. Kausch, J. Matschullat, M. Bertau and H. Mischo, editors, Rohstoffwirtschaft und gesellschaftliche Entwicklung [The Raw Materials Industry and Development] (Berlin, Springer Spektrum, 2016).

“Multifaceted material substitution: The case of NdFeB magnets, 2010-2015,” JOM, 2016. DOI:10.1007/s11837-016-1913-2. Co-authored with Braeton E. Smith.

“Volatility of by-product metal and mineral prices,” Resources Policy, vol 47, March 2016, pp. 69-77.  DOI:10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.12.002.  Co-authored with Michael Redlinger.

“Evaluating the Availability of Gallium, Indium, and Tellurium from Recycled Photovoltaic Modules,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 138, July 2015, pp. 58-71.  DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2015.02.027.  Co-authored with Michael Redlinger and Michael Woodhouse.

“Thorium: Crustal Abundance, Joint Production, and Economic Availability,” Resources Policy, 2015, pp. 81-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.02.002.  Co-authored with Brett W. Jordan, Brent W. Dixon, and Brett W. Carlsen.

“Perspectives on Pathways for Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaic Module Manufacturers to Address Expected Increases in the Price of Tellurium,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 115, August 2013, pp. 199-212.  Co-authored with M. Woodhouse, A. Goodrich, R. Margolis, T. James, R. Dhere, T. Gessert, T. Barnes, and D. Albin.

“Mining, Sustainability, and Sustainable Development,” in Philip Maxwell, editor, Australian Mineral Economics, Monograph 24 (Carlton, Victoria, Australia, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2013).  Updated and revised version of 2006 book.

“Supply-Chain Dynamics of Tellurium, Indium, and Gallium Within the Context of PV Manufacturing Costs,” Journal of Photovoltaics, vol. 3, no. 2, April 2013, pp. 833-837.  Co-authored with M. Woodhouse, A. Goodrich, R. Margolis, T.L. James, and M. Lokanc.

“Deep-Sea Mining of Seafloor Massive Sulfides,” Marine Policy, vol. 34, 2010, pp. 728-732.  Co-authored with P. Hoagland, S. Beaulieu, M.A. Tivey, C. German, L. Glowka, and J. Lin.

 

ESSAYS AIMED AT GENERAL AUDIENCES

“Energy-critical elements for sustainable development,” MRS Bulletin, vol. 37, no. 4, April 2012, pp. 405-410.  Co-authored with A. Hurd, R. Kelley, and M. Lee.

“Minerals go critical,” Nature Chemistry, vol. 3, September 2011, pp. 688-691.

“Critical Minerals and Emerging Technologies,” Issues in Science and Technology, vol. XXVI, no. 4, Summer 2010, pp. 49-58.