23 minerals at risk of US supply shortages, study shows

Almost two dozen minerals required for new and emerging technologies are at risk of supply shortages, according to a new study of the US manufacturing sector (Sci. Adv. 2020, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay8647). The minerals are used in alloys, batteries, catalysts, ceramics, and other applications. A research team led by Nedal T. Nassar of the US Geological Survey’s National Minerals Information Center developed a model to look at three factors that put mineral supplies at risk: US manufacturers’ dependence on foreign supplies, the chance of a foreign supply disruption, and manufacturers’ ability to continue working through a disruption. After examining the use of 52 minerals from 2007 to 2016, the authors found the greatest risk of a supply disruption for 23 minerals, including rare-earth elements, platinum-group elements, cobalt, niobium, tantalum, and tungsten. While federal policies are driven by year-to-year supply fluctuations, the researchers found that these 23 minerals were at risk consistently throughout the time period they studied. Now that these minerals have been identified as high risk, “it is then important to determine how best to reduce that risk for that commodity,” they say.