What are critical minerals and why do countries need them?

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: Countries are racing to secure the critical minerals and rare earths needed to make vital products.

What are critical minerals and why do countries need them? 2 days ago Save Esme Stallard Climate and science reporter Save Reuters Countries are racing to obtain the critical minerals and rare earths needed to make everything from smartphones to electric cars. (yes, really)

US President Donald Trump has made access to these minerals a priority, with potential mining deals part of his plans for both Greenland and Ukraine.

The Details

But it is China which dominates processing and upon which the world relies for usable supplies. Critical minerals are those which a country considers vital for its economy, or national security, but which it may struggle to get hold of.

Some of the common critical minerals expected to see the biggest growth in demand in the coming years are: copper - used in energy infrastructure and construction lithium - energy storage cobalt - portable batteries and high-strength alloys, often used for wind turbines graphite - fuel cells, batteries, lubricants and nuclear power Critical minerals lists vary between nations, depending on the resources they have and the industries they run. For example, while copper is on the most recent critical minerals list for the US , it is not on the UKs.

Why This Matters

The UK has 34 materials on its critical minerals list , including aluminium, cobalt, and helium. Trump covets mineral-rich Greenland, but what natural resources does it actually have? What minerals does Ukraine have and what are they used for?

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

Key Takeaways

• Rare earth elements appear on the critical minerals lists of many countries.
• They are vital in microchips, which are crucial for almost every sector from defence to healthcare.

The Bottom Line

With important electrical and magnetic qualities, rare earths consist of 17 elements in the lanthanide group of the periodic table, plus scandium and yytrium. They are vital in microchips, which are crucial for almost every sector from defence to healthcare.

What do you think about all this?