The list highlights vulnerable elements where global production is concentrated in a small number of countries, including metals which are critical to development of a low-carbon digital economy.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has compiled a "risk list" of elements assessing the precariousness of our supplies.
The study examines the scarcity of each element in Earth's crust, how many countries produce it and the political stability of those countries. It says supplies of antimony, tungsten, mercury and the platinum group of elements are most endangered.
The problem is even more acute than that of the "rare-earth" elements used to make many consumer electronics goods, which hit the headlines earlier this year when power hungry China, the world's biggest acquirer of stocks, sites and companies that mine rare earth elements, blocked exports to the International market to restrict competition and boost pricing.
The risk list helps to focus future research on diversifying supply from new resources, using greener production technologies and cost effective recycling.
The new digital and environmental technologies on which we will rely to deliver a prosperous, low carbon economy often contain metals which have previously been of little interest to man. These ‘critical metals’ – the celebrities of the periodic table – are completely intertwined with modern life, present in thousands of products and increasingly indispensable.
The Risk List 2011 will be released to coincide with the ‘Metals, Mines & Mobiles’ event at the British Science Festival on the 12th September 2011 at the University of Bradford.The panel of experts at the event will examine the life cycle of technology metals and includes Professor Frances Wall (CSM), Andrew Bloodworth (BGS), Dr Alan McLelland (NAMTEC) and Dr Paul Mitchell (Director, GreenHorizons Environmental Consultants Ltd.)
Download the risk list by clicking on the picture or from www.mineralsuk.com
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