China's Yttrium Monopoly Sparks Rare Earth Shortage in US Aerospace Industry
The US aerospace industry is facing a critical shortage of yttrium, a rare earth metal used in heat-resistant coatings that protect turbine blades and vanes from extreme temperatures. China supplies about 70% of the US's yttrium imports between 2021 and 2024, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The industry is scrambling to replace yttrium with alternative materials, such as zirconium-dioxide coatings stabilized with magnesium or calcium.
Suppliers are also exploring recycling coating material. Oerlikon Surface Solutions, a major supplier of aerospace and turbine coatings, uses yttrium in thermal-barrier coatings designed to protect engine components from extreme heat. The company is working with US suppliers and the federal government to secure additional supplies after China imposed export controls.
GE Vernova, one of the world's largest gas-turbine manufacturers, has enough inventory to carry it into 2026 but is investing in alternative materials to reduce its dependence on yttrium. Honeywell uses yttrium-containing materials to protect critical engine components from extreme heat and describes itself as a developer, supplier, and repair center whose thermal-barrier coatings are used by aircraft and industrial turbine-engine producers and operators.