Environmental technologies depend on raw materials, some of which are subject to volatile costs and availability concerns. One way to address these concerns is through substitution, of which there are many types. An important form of substitution in the short term is adopting an alternative production process, yielding a material with the same functional properties with less material input. In effect, technology substitutes for material. This study elucidates the role increased and uncertain material costs play in inducing different substitution types in the short to medium term. Specifically, this paper uses an expert survey to determine the relative importance of eight specific industry responses taken by magnet and wind turbine manufacturers in response to the 2010/2011 rare-earth price spike through 2016. Statistical tests show adopting an existing production process for magnets was the most important response, followed by cost passthrough, using an alternate magnet grade in a redesigned generator system, and using alternate systems altogether. The paper also provides specific findings for the magnet and wind turbine industries with respect to each substitution type.

中文翻译：

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成本，替代和材料使用：稀土磁铁的案例

环保技术取决于原材料，其中一些原材料会受到成本波动和可用性问题的困扰。解决这些问题的一种方法是通过替代，替代有很多类型。短期内替代的一种重要形式是采用替代生产工艺，从而以更少的材料投入生产出具有相同功能特性的材料。实际上，技术替代了材料。这项研究阐明了在短期到中期，增加的成本和不确定的材料成本在诱导不同替代类型中所起的作用。具体而言，本文使用专家调查来确定磁铁和风力涡轮机制造商针对到2016年2010/2011年稀土价格飙升做出的八项特定行业应对措施的相对重要性。统计测试表明，采用现有的磁体生产工艺是最重要的响应，其次是成本转嫁，在重新设计的发电机系统中使用替代磁体等级，并完全使用替代系统。本文还针对每种替代类型提供了针对磁铁和风力涡轮机行业的具体发现。