In this video, Dominique Guyonnet from BRGM introduces into the topic of critical raw materials: how are they different from other materials, how are they defined? What makes them so important and what are the underlying issues concerning their extraction and use? As an introduction to this topic, Dominique Guyonnet shows why we need to pay attention to these questions.
Module description
This module explains the notion of materials’ criticality and its causes, looks at different assessment methodologies and reviews them critically.
Restrictions to the global supply for mineral raw materials (MRMs) are more related to ACCESS to MRMs than to geological availability (how much is out there).
Access is constrained by economic, geopolitical, environmental and social factors.
Criticality assessments are qualitative in nature: there is no “correct” method, but different methods are suited to different end users and scales of space and time.
A thorough market analysis, including information regarding ongoing mineral exploration projects, is often more informative than theoretical criticality calculations based on various formulae.
Learning objectives:
- A review of concepts underlying criticality assessments
- An overview of methodologies
- Clarify possibilities and limitations of criticality estimations
- Illustrations with reference to specific critical raw materials
Teaching materials