Critical Minerals:Their Nature, Occurrence, Recovery and Uses

Abstract

Critical minerals (CMs) are metals and non-metals which are vital for the economic well-being of society. However, their supply may be at risk due to geological scarcity, geopolitics, trade policy, vulnerability and other factors. CMs include REEs, Au. Some CMs like Au, Ag, Pt, Co, Sn and Al are being recovered and reused by recycling the environmentally hazardous, but valuable e-waste that contains ~50 chemical elements. The CMs thus recovered are in much demand in diverse industries based on conventional, high-tech and cutting-edge technologies.