“Its unique purity results from processes that unfold on geologic rather than human timescales,” says Penn. “This purity requirement is of utmost importance for modern computing systems in areas such as the military, healthcare and quantum computing.”
The two main companies in the Spruce Pine pegmatite complex – approximately 40 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide, according to a 1962 survey. – are Quartz Corp and Unimim, a subsidiary of global industrial minerals company SCR-Sibelco, based in Belgium.
A Sibelco spokesperson said: “As of September 26, we have temporarily suspended operations at the Spruce Pine facilities in response to these challenges.
“We are working closely with our local team to safely restart operations as soon as we can and are actively coordinating with local authorities and other partners to manage the situation. Our top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our employees, as well as ensuring the security of the Spruce Pine facility.”
Viral posts on social media claim that due to the flood, global semiconductor production may come to a halt. This doomsday scenario is unlikely, but experts are seriously concerned about the impact the flood could have on the technology industry and the economic consequences of continued pressure on the supply chain caused by the site’s closure.
“The key thing will not just be the floods, as bad as they are,” said Chris Hackney, a human geography researcher at Newcastle University in the UK. “Damage to infrastructure – roads, transport, energy and mining equipment – will halt production for some time. There is potential for landslides.”
Hackney adds that “any disruption to supply chains will impact prices and production of high-end electronics and technology.”
Tom Baid, a senior scientist at the British Geological Survey, believes it is possible that the disaster will be minimally disruptive due to stockpiling and other types of emergency work.
“The impact on the technology industry will largely depend on how long it takes them to resume operations,” he says. “Most manufacturers probably have some level of inventory, so there will be some ‘slack’ in the system. If the problems are temporary, this may not have a noticeable effect.
Bide estimates it will take about a month for any major impacts to be felt.
