The criticality of metals: a perspective for geologists

Abstract

The criticality of metals (the quality, state, or degree of being of the highest importance) is of increasing concern as populations and wealth increase and as mineral extraction follows. Many characteristics are involved in determining criticality, and those involving geology are among the most important. We discuss the state of knowledge of mineable resources across the periodic table, and how those determinations factor into criticality evaluations. We then illustrate criticality evaluations of the copper ore group elements for the specific example of the UK. Given the importance of the ore metals over the long term, we argue that efforts on the part of the geological community to update and maintain criticality-related information deserve much more attention than they are now receiving.

Criticality of metals and metalloids

“…The methodology responds to recommendations of others (5,10,14) for optimum criticality assessment. Extensive details are given in previous publications (18,(22)(23)(24) and in SI Appendix.…”

Towards a multi-dimensional methodology supporting a safeguarding decision on the future access to mineral resources

“…On the contrary, as far as can be numerically projected, the supply risks are expected for a quite large number of mineral products, many of them presently provided by active exploitation of easily accessible, but non-inexhaustible, rock masses, natural accumulations of sediments, or even high-grade/high-tonnage ores (e.g. Rosenau-Tornow et al, 2009;Prior et al, 2013;Vidal et al, 2013;Graedel and Nassar, 2013;Achzet and Helbig, 2013;Nuss et al, 2014;Glöser et al, 2015).…”

“…Many lines of evidence show that physical exhaustion of primary resources is unlikely (e.g. Bloodworth and Gunn, 2012;Graedel and Nassar, 2013), but common geological perception also proves convincingly that the average elemental mass in any natural geochemical reservoir is not uniformly distributed, demonstrating furthermore that particular attributes of sediments, rocks and ores are related to specific, sometimes subtle, features triggered by a succession of events that trace the geodynamic evolution of a given region (e.g. Robb, 2005;Arndt et al, 2017).…”

Raw material criticality in the context of classical risk assessment

“…European Commission, 2010, 2014 or for the world (e.g. Graedel and Nassar, 2013). Apart from the spatial dimension, several studies particularly focus on raw material supply for specific emerging technologies, with particular emphasis on energy technologies (e.g.…”