European Commission list of critical raw materials 2020

Antimony

Baryte

Bauxite*

Beryllium

Borate

Fluorspar

Phosphate rock

Phosphorus

Gallium

Germanium

Graphite

Hafnium

Indium

Silicon

Cobalt

Coking coal/Coke

Lithium*

Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE)

Magnesium

Natural rubber

Niobium

Platinum Group Metals (PGM)

Scandium

Strontium*

Tantalum

Titanium*

Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE)

Vanadium

Bismuth

Wolfram/Tungsten

Antimony

What: Antimony (Sb) is a silvery-white brittle, fusible metal with poor electrical and thermal conductivity.

The most important area of ​​use is as a flame retardant. The element and its compounds are also used in batteries, plastic, rubber, glass, paper and paint. Limited conductive properties mean that antimony has become increasingly important in semiconductor technology. Small amounts of antimony are also used in alloys to enhance certain properties, such as increased hardness or stiffness.

Mined: China, Bolivia, Russia. In 2011, China had about 86 percent of antimony production. In ten years, the price of antimony has quadrupled, largely due to China’s more controlled exports.

Potential in Sweden: Deposits with antimony-bearing sulfosalt minerals are found in Dalsland, Värmland and in the mountain range. Antimony is a problematic element in ore production if it is not effectively removed from end products such as copper when enriching complex ores. This is because the antimony negatively affects the mechanical and electrical properties of the copper. It would be desirable to be able to pick out the antimony and concentrate it on a salable product, an area where research is conducted today. Not mined in Sweden today.

Baryte

What: Baryte is a mineral whose chemical name is barium sulfate. Baryte is very sparingly soluble in water and is therefore, despite the element barium toxicity, in principle non-toxic to humans.

Baryte powder is used, for example, as a contrast medium in X-rays. Baryte produces barium carbonate, which in turn is used in the manufacture of LED screens, additives in paints, ceramics and plastics.

Mined: Globally, China, India and Morocco are the largest producers of baryte and together account for 60 percent of world production. Within the EU, baryte is mostly sourced from China and Morocco, and on a smaller scale from Germany and a number of other EU countries.

Potential in Sweden: Good deposits can be found in Gällivare and Vilhelmina, among others. Older and disused baryte quarries are located on Alnön outside Sundsvall. Not mined in Sweden today.

Bauxite*

What: Bauxite is a soil or sedimentary rock that consists of between 25 and 55 percent by weight of aluminum and trace contents of gallium and is the main source for the production of these two metals.

Mined: The world’s largest bauxite deposit is found in Australia, which also accounts for 28 percent of world production. Other major world producers are China (20 percent) and Brazil (13 percent). Only a fraction of the EU countries’ needs are met by production within the EU, which takes place in Greece (12 percent) and France (1 percent), the remaining part is imported from Guinea in West Africa (64 percent) and Brazil (10 percent).

Potential in Sweden: There are no known deposits.

Beryllium

What: The element beryllium (Be) gives extraordinary properties to certain technically important materials that we need in our modern society.

Beryllium is used in everything from mechanics, rocket motors, aircraft, X-ray diffractometers, laser drills, electrical circuits and as a moderator material in nuclear power plants. It is an excellent insulator, has high thermal conductivity and melting point and is very strong with low density.

Mined: Only two beryllium minerals have economic significance, bertrandite and beryllium. Bertrandite, with less than one percent beryllium, is mined mainly in the United States, while beryllium (which may contain about four percent beryllium) is mined in the rest of the world. In 2011, the United States had about 90 percent of world production of beryllium. The other ten percent came mainly from China.

Potential in Sweden: In Sweden, beryllium can primarily be found bound to beryllium in granitic pegmatites. The mineral has been recovered in the mining of pegmatites, especially in northwestern Östergötland and Västmanland, but never to a large extent. North of Köping is one of Sweden’s beryllium deposits. Potential for larger and other types of mineralization forms exists, but insufficiently investigated. Not mined in Sweden today.

Borate

What: Borates are inorganic salts and consist of metallic elements, such as iron, calcium, sodium or magnesium, which are bound to borate ions. In nature, there are over 100 different borate minerals. These are important ore minerals for the production of the element boron (B).

Borates are also important for the manufacture of safety glass, protective glass and other special products in the glass industry, where borates give the glass higher durability and heat resistance.

Mined: The largest deposits of borates are found in Turkey, California (USA), Russia and Chile. This is also where the largest production takes place. The need for borates within the EU is currently being met by 98 percent of imports from Turkey.

Potential in Sweden: Borate minerals are very unusual in the earth’s crust and no major deposits are known in Sweden. However, the mineral ludwigite, a magnesium-iron-borate, has been found in several places in Sweden, including in iron ore both in Bergslagen and in the northern ore regions. Another place where borate minerals have been found is in the Moss mine in Värmland. Not mined in Sweden today.

Fluorspar

What: Fluorspar, also called fluorite, is a mineral that can be found in many beautiful colors but which in its pure form is colorless. About half of all fluorspar is used in the manufacture of hydrofluoric acid, which is a very highly corrosive and toxic acid that can dissolve glass.

Hydrofluoric acid is used, among other things, in the purification of aluminum and uranium and the etching of glass and silicon, but also in the production of Teflon and freons. Flusspat also has large areas of use in steel and aluminum production.

Mined: The largest producer of fluorspar is China, with over half of world production in 2010. Mexico follows behind by 18 percent, followed by Mongolia, Russia and South Africa. In 2010, the EU accounted for three percent of world production, with mining in Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Potential in Sweden: Known deposits are found, among other places, northwest of Storuman in Västerbotten County. Not mined in Sweden today.

Phosphate rock

What: Phosphate mineral is the most important source of phosphorus. Phosphate minerals are mainly used for the production of fertilizers for use in agriculture. On a smaller scale, phosphorus substances are also produced for other purposes as well as for elemental phosphorus, i.e. the pure element phosphorus.

Mined: In 2019, China was the largest producer of phosphate minerals with 48 percent of the world market, followed by Morocco (11 percent) and the United States (10 percent). Demand within the EU was met with production in Finland (16 percent) and imports from Morocco (24 percent) and Russia (20 percent). The import requirement from countries outside the Union amounted to 84 percent.

Potential in Sweden: Good deposits in apatite iron ores mined by LKAB. The ReeMAP project aims, among other things, to recover phosphorus through recycling and processing of mining waste.

Phosphorus

What: Phosphorus is a highly reactive, non-metallic element that belongs to the nitrogen group in the periodic table. Phosphorus is a vital element for all living organisms. The substance constitutes necessary building blocks in both DNA and RNA, is necessary for the transport of energy in the cells and is required for so-called phosphorylation which drives the cells’ sodium-potassium pump.

Elemental phosphorus is used both in pure form and for the production of various phosphorus substances that cannot be produced directly from the phosphate mineral. Areas of application include metallurgy, chemical engineering, pyrotechnics, medicine, food additives and matches.

Mined: China (74 percent), Kazakhstan (9 percent) and Vietnam (9 percent) are the largest producers. There was no production in 2019 within the EU and the need was met in its entirety with imports from Kazakhstan (71 percent), Vietnam (18 percent) and China (9 percent).

Potential in Sweden: Good deposits in apatite iron ores mined by LKAB. The ReeMAP project aims, among other things, to recover phosphorus through recycling and processing of mining waste.

Gallium

What: Gallium is a silvery-white metal with a low melting point, only 30 degrees Celsius. Gallium forms compounds with several substances, including arsenic and nitrogen, and these compounds have good semiconductor properties and are used in integrated circuits, LEDs and solar cells, among other things. Due to the low melting point, gallium is also used for certain alloys, medical instruments and as dental fillings.

Mined: In 2019, China was the largest producer of gallium with 79 percent of all production, corresponding to 172 tons of gallium, followed by Germany (8 percent) and Ukraine (5 percent).

Potential in Sweden: Deposits exist, but insufficiently investigated. Not mined in Sweden today.

Germanium

What: Germanium is an off-white, shimmering semi-metallic element. It is hard, but brittle, and has semiconductor properties. It has a high refractive index and low dispersion, which makes it useful in fiber optics and infrared optics.

Other uses are in catalysts in the production of PET and solar cells. In the future, use in fiber optics and solar cells is expected to increase more and more, especially in fiber optics where no alternative material has been found. More than half of all germanium is used for fiber optics and infrared optics, a quarter for catalysts and about 15 percent for electronics and solar cells.

Mined: Russia has about half of the total germanium reserves while China comes second with about 30 percent. However, about 80 percent of production takes place in China, followed by Finland, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Potential in Sweden: Deposits exist, but insufficiently investigated. Not mined in Sweden today.

Graphite

What: Graphite is made up of pure carbon, just like diamonds. Despite this, there are major differences between them that depend on the structure of the carbon atoms. The atoms in diamond have a cubic crystal system, while the carbon atoms in graphite occur in flat surface layers.

Graphite has many useful properties, including being soft, light, flexible and having a high melting point of 3,390 degrees Celsius. It is largely used as a refractory material and lubricant in industries and is important in the manufacture of steel, as well as in the automotive industry in, among other things, brake linings, exhaust systems and engines. Other uses are as anodes in batteries and in pencils.

Mined: About 68 percent of the world’s assets of graphite are in China, with India and Brazil behind at fourteen and seven percent, respectively. Europe’s consumption of natural graphite is estimated at around 123,000 tonnes (2012), which is thirteen percent of world consumption. North America is at nine percent, while Asia consumes 67 percent of all graphite in the world. The EU imports around 100,000 tonnes of graphite each year.

Potential in Sweden: Large assets exist. SGU estimates (2014) the figure at around 3 million tonnes of graphite. Mining has occurred to and from in Hälsingland in recent years.

Hafnium

What: Hafnium (Hf) is a metallic element that makes up only a few millionths of the earth’s composition. Several of the hafnium isotopes present are good neutron absorbers, which means that they can be used in control rods for nuclear power plants.

Hafnium’s exceptional anticorrosive properties mean that it can be used in so-called super alloys to increase their corrosion resistance. Some hafnium compounds have very high melting points, for example hafnium carbide which first melts at 3,890°C, and can be used to make refractories.

Mined: Globally, France (49 percent) and the United States (44 percent) account for almost all world production. The need within the EU is met by production in France (84 percent) and through limited imports from the UK (5 percent) and other countries outside the EU. However, France’s production makes the EU as a whole a net exporter, which is why the need for imports can be said to be non-existent. However, production in France is done by a single company, which is why the European Commission still considers supply within the EU to be critical.

Potential in Sweden: High levels have been found in northern Småland, but no minable deposits are known.

Indium

What: Indium makes today’s computers and smartphones possible, but there are few deposits in the world. Indium is a silvery metal that is very soft and malleable. It has a low melting point and is easy to alloy with other metals.

The largest use for indium is together with tin in indium tin oxide (ITO). More than half of all indium is used as ITO for flat screens in computer monitors, mobile phones and televisions. ITO is both transparent and electrically conductive and can therefore be used for touch screens.

Mined: Indium is currently only extracted as a by-product of other mining, including zinc. Refining of indium takes place mainly in China with 48 percent of total production (2019) followed by South Korea (21 percent), Japan and Canada (eight percent). Even if a certain production takes place within the EU, including Belgium, the EU can primarily be seen as an importer of indium.

Potential in Sweden: Deposits have been found, including in Bergslagen, but no mining is taking place today.

Silicon

What: Silicon is the second most common element in the earth’s crust after oxygen. Silicate minerals, which contain silicon and oxygen, are the dominant mineral group in the crust. Silicon is the most widely used semiconductor in the electronics industry, but silicon is also an important semimetal in aluminum alloys. Pure silicon is a semiconductor used in almost all transistors, circuit boards, processors and solar cells manufactured today. Quartz (silica, SiO2) is the most significant source of silicon.

Mined: The largest producer of silicon is China with about 66 percent of the world market (2019). Other major producers are the United States (8 percent), Brazil (7 percent) and Norway (6 percent). The EU consumes over half a million tonnes of silicon every year and is to a very large extent an importer of the substance.

Potential in Sweden: Known deposits of pure quartz in several places, but no mining takes place today.

Cobalt

What: Cobalt (Co) is a hard, shiny silver-gray metal with many uses. Cobalt has a high melting point and is ferromagnetic, which makes cobalt useful in permanent magnets. Alloys and super alloys, alloys with high-performance properties, are a large area of ​​use for cobalt, which means that the alloys can become very hard and strong and have a high melting point, which is in demand in the construction of jet engines, spacecraft and turbines, among other things.

Batteries are another area of ​​use for cobalt, where it is used in lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and in nickel-metal hydride batteries. Another growing area of ​​use for cobalt is in biotechnology, where cobalt is used in medicine, dentistry and fermentation products.

Rechargeable batteries in electric cars and electronic products, such as mobile phones, are often of the lithium-ion battery type. The metals present in the cathode together with lithium can be cobalt, manganese or nickel in various combinations.

Mined: Cobalt is mined almost without exception together with other metals. Cobalt is mined primarily in nickel and copper mines. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for 59 percent of world cobalt production. Here are the world’s most important cobalt reserves, over three million tonnes of cobalt, in what is called the Central African Copper Belt. 12 countries account for the remaining world production, for example China, Canada and Zambia, with between 4 and 7 percent of the market. Within the EU, cobalt is mined in Finland and New Caledonia (France).

Potential in Sweden: Deposits have been found in several places, including the Kleva mine, Bergslagen, Kiruna and around Skellefteå. Not mined in Sweden today.

Coking coal/coke

What: The unqualified term “coke” usually refers to the product derived from low-ash and low-sulphur bituminous coal by a process called coking. Coke is created by pyrolysis of coal (for example black coal). Pyrolysis takes place by heating the coal to high temperatures, several hundred degrees Celsius, in an oxygen-free environment. This means that no combustion takes place. The product that remains, coke, has a high weight fraction of pure carbon. Almost all coke is used as a fuel, especially in the steel industry, but a certain part is also used as metallurgical carbon, where the carbon is mixed directly into alloys.

Mined: The largest producer, and user, of coke is China with just over half of world production. This is followed by Australia, Russia and the United States. In 2010, the EU accounted for four percent of world production, mainly from Poland and the Czech Republic. To meet the need for coke within the EU, about 40 million tonnes are imported, about half of the total need. Imports come mainly from the USA and Australia.

Potential in Sweden: There are no significant coal deposits.

Lithium*

What: Lithium (Li) is an alkali metal and the lightest element that is in solid form at room temperature. The metal was discovered in 1817 by the Swede Johan August Arfwedson and makes up only about 20 millionths of the earth’s total chemical composition.

Lithium-ion batteries are made of lithium and are one of the most important rechargeable battery types used in mobile phones and computers. Lithium is also used as a flux to lower the melting point and viscosity of silica in the manufacture of glass and ceramics.

Mined: The largest lithium reserves are found in South America, where the metal is extracted by evaporation of lithium-containing saline solutions found in reservoirs below the ground. Within the EU, there are large known deposits in Portugal, where there has also been a lot of exploration lately. Globally, Chile (44 percent), China (39 percent) and Argentina (13 percent) are the largest producers. Within the EU, there is some production in Portugal, but most of the need is met through imports, mainly from Chile (78 percent), the USA (8 percent) and Russia (4 percent). Recycling is not considered to be able to contribute to the lithium supply at all. At Cínovec in the northwestern Czech Republic, right on the border with Germany, there is a promising lithium prospect where the possibilities for mining are currently being investigated.

Potential in Sweden: Has previously been mined as both main and by-product in a couple of mines within the Skellefte field. A number of known lithium deposits are also found in the counties of Norrbotten, Västernorrland, Gävleborg and Stockholm. Not mined in Sweden today.

Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE)

What: Rare earth metals are a group of elements, so-called transition metals, where lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) and lutetium (Lm) are included.

In some contexts, the elements scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y) are also considered rare earth metals. Many of these elements were discovered during the 19th century through studies of materials from Swedish mines, primarily from the Ytterby mine on Resarö in the Stockholm archipelago (Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb) but also from the Bastnäs field in Västmanland (Ce and La).

The group of rare earth metals is often abbreviated REE (rare-earth elements). They can be divided into the groups LREE and HREE (light and heavy rare-earth elements), respectively, where LREE includes the atomically lighter half of the series lanthanum-lutetium and HREE the heavier. These two groups differ in part in terms of occurrence, production, demand and price picture, which is why they each occupy a place on the European Commission’s list of critical materials.

The rare earth metals can be used to make strong magnets for use in electric motors, for use in industry or vehicles. Such magnets are also used in electric generators, which are needed for electricity production in various types of power plants.

Mined: Globally, China is by far the largest producer with 86 percent of world production, followed by Australia (6 percent) and the United States (2 percent). Within the EU, demand is met by imports from China to 99 percent (LREE) and 98 percent (HREE), respectively.

Potential in Sweden: No mining takes place today. Mining has previously taken place in Västmanland County and discussions have taken place regarding the opening of a completely new mine at Norra Kärr in the northernmost county of Jönköping. Known deposits are also found in other places, for example in northeastern Småland and around Bergslagen. In Kiruna, REE is bound in apatite iron ore. LKAB’s project ReeMAP aims, among other things, to utilize REE through the recycling and processing of mining waste.

Magnesium

What: Magnesium is a silver-gray, soft metal with atomic number 12 in the periodic table. It is lighter than aluminum and has high strength, which has made it the third most used metal in construction materials after iron and aluminum. The advantage of using magnesium is mainly that it is much lighter than both steel and aluminum, which means that you can, among other things, make cars that use less fuel.

Magnesium is also used in desulphurization processes in the steel industry. Magnesium is also a vital building block for all life as it helps build up nucleic acids. Magnesium deficiency can cause high blood pressure and spasms, but also depression and anxiety in humans.

Mined: In 2019, China had the largest mining of magnesium with 89 percent of world production. The United States (4 percent), Israel (3 percent) and Brazil (2 percent) follows.

Potential in Sweden: The main deposits from which magnesium is extracted are magnesite, dolomite, evaporites and seawater. In Sweden, there are large deposits of dolomite in, among other places, Sala. There are also some deposits of olivine and talc, other minerals that contain magnesium. Not mined in Sweden today.

Natural rubber

What: Natural rubber is made from milk juice that is harvested from the rubber tree. The rubber tree is found growing wild in the Amazon rainforests, but planted stands are found along the tropics all over the world. The elastic properties of the rubber mean that it can be used as a shock and vibration-damping material in various types of machines. Its impermeable properties are utilized in tight gaskets, hoses, etc., where leakage of liquids of gases is to be avoided. Among other things, rainwear and diving equipment are made of rubber due to its water-repellent properties. Rubber is also a good electrical insulator.

Tapped: Globally, the largest producers of natural rubber are Thailand (33 percent), Indonesia (24 percent) and Vietnam (7 percent). In addition, there is production in several countries in South and Southeast Asia, South and Central America and Africa.

Potential in Sweden: No.

Niobium

What: Niobium (Nb) is a metallic element that makes up about 20 millionths of the earth’s chemical composition. The element is chemically very similar to the metal tantalum, which is why it was named after the Lydian princess Niobe who is the daughter of Tantalus in Greek mythology.

Incorporation of small amounts of niobium into steel significantly increases its strength, so-called high-strength steel is used in the automotive industry and in the construction of certain infrastructure. Niobium-containing super alloys have very high thermal stability and are used in jet and rocket engines, among other things. Some niobium alloys are superconductors and are used, among other things, as electromagnets in magnetic resonance imaging, i.e. magnetic resonance imaging, and particle accelerators.

Mined: Globally, Brazil (92 percent) and Canada (8 percent) are basically the only producers of Niobium. Within the EU, the entire need is met through imports from these countries.

Potential in Sweden: Known mineralizations are found in the municipalities of Söderhamn and Sollefteå, among others, and more studies are underway. Not mined in Sweden today.

Platinum Group Metals (PGM)

What: The metals of the platinum group (abbreviated to PGM) consist of six elements: platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium. All platinum group metals are precious metals and have great resistance to corrosion and oxidation. They are very little affected by most acids and alkalis. They also have a high melting point and malleability.

Palladium and platinum are the most common metals in the group and are also the ones that are sold and used the most. The high price of the metals means that they are only used for certain specific purposes. Almost half of all PGM production goes to car catalysts, where no replacement material is available. Other areas of use are, for example, in the chemical and oil industries and in electronics. PGM is also used in jewelry, due to their properties and high value.

Mined: PGM almost always occurs together in minerals. The largest production of PGM takes place in South Africa with 58 percent of world production (2019). This is also where the largest reserves are, up to 95 percent. Russia follows with 24 percent of world production, followed by Zimbabwe at seven percent. Some mining has taken place in recent years within the EU in Poland and Finland.

Potential in Sweden: Some deposits are found in, among other places, Härjedalen. Larger deposits are found in Finland. Not mined in Sweden today.

Scandium

What: Scandium (Sc) was discovered in Sweden in 1879 by the chemist Lars Fredrik Nilson and is named after Scandinavia. In some contexts, scandium is considered a rare earth metal even though it does not belong to the lanthanoid group in the periodic table. The substance makes up about 20 million parts of the earth’s total chemical composition.

Scandium is used to create aluminum alloys with low weight and high strength, the area of ​​use is mainly in aerospace technology. Another area of ​​use is for the manufacture of electrolyte materials for so-called solid oxide fuel cells

Mined: Scandium is produced as a by-product in the mining of iron ore, rare earth metals, titanium, zirconium, uranium or nickel in mines in China (66 percent), Russia (26 percent) and Ukraine (7 percent). The need within the EU is fully met by imports from primarily the United Kingdom (98 percent) and Russia (1 percent).

Potential in Sweden: Some deposits exist, but the state of knowledge is low. More research is needed, after which more deposits are expected. Not mined in Sweden today.

Strontium*

What: Strontium (Sr) belongs to the group of alkaline earth metals in the periodic table and constitutes about 0.04 percent of the total chemical composition of the earth’s crust.

Strontium is used for the manufacture of ceramic magnets, so-called ferrite magnets, which are used in various electronic components. The metal is also used in various aluminum alloys. In medicine, the isotope Sr-89 is used to treat prostate cancer and advanced bone cancer. The chemical compound strontium chloride is used in toothpaste to counteract tooth irritation. In fireworks and other pyrotechnics, admixture of strontium carbonate and other strontium salts gives the flame a deep red color.

Mined: Globally, Spain (31 percent), Iran (30 percent) and China (19 percent) account for the majority of world production, but Argentina, Mexico and Turkey also have some production. Within the EU, the need is fully met by the production in Spain.

Potential in Sweden: No known deposits.

Tantalum

What: Tantalum (Ta) is a metallic element that was discovered in 1802 by the Swedish chemist Anders Ekeberg, it makes up about 2 millionths of the earth’s total chemical composition.

The largest use for tantalum is in the manufacture of electronic components, primarily capacitors and high-power resistors. Tantalum is used to create super alloys with high melting point, strength and ductility (ability to deform without cracking), which are used in jet engines, nuclear reactors, heat exchangers, surgical instruments and implants.

Tantalum, together with tin, gold and tungsten, is classified by the European Commission as a conflict mineral. These minerals are extracted to some extent in conflict-affected areas and a problem with this has been that money from the extraction is used by local warlords and groups to finance armed conflicts. The extraction of these minerals takes place under terrible conditions for people in the areas of forced labor, forced relocations and other human rights violations. Here you can read more about conflict minerals.

Mined: Globally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (33 percent), Rwanda (28 percent) and Brazil (9 percent) are the largest producers. The EU needs are met through imports from these countries. Larger known assets are also available in Australia and Canada.

Potential in Sweden: Known deposits exist, including in the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, Gävleborg and Stockholm. New investigations are underway. Not mined in Sweden today.

Titanium*

What: Titanium (Ti) is a metallic element that makes up about 0.6 percent of the earth’s total chemical composition. Although titanium is a relatively common metal, it is difficult to find deposits that are sufficiently concentrated to be economically viable. Titanium is therefore rarely extracted from the primary rocks, but from rutile- and ilmenite-containing sand deposits.

Titanium is used to create strong and lightweight metal alloys for use in the aerospace and defense industries. The majority of extracted titanium ore is used for the production of titanium dioxide, which is mixed as a pigment in paints, paper, toothpaste and plastic products. Jewelry and watches can be made of titanium or alloys where titanium is included.

In medical technology, titanium is used for the manufacture of various implants, this takes advantage of the metal’s osseointegrating properties, which means that the bone tissue grows together with the implant surface after healing.

Mined: Globally, China (45 percent), Russia (22 percent) and Japan (22 percent) are the largest producers of titanium. In our vicinity is Norway, which in 2019 accounted for about 4 percent of world production of ilmenite.

Potential in Sweden: Can be extracted as a by-product in certain iron ores. Some deposits are found in Småland, Hälsingland and Lapland, among others. Not mined in Sweden today.

Heavy Rare Earth Elements  (HREE)

What: Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE)

The group of Rare Earth Elements is often abbreviated REE. They can be divided into the groups LREE and HREE (light and heavy), respectively, where LREE includes the atomically lighter half of the series lanthanum-lutetium and HREE the heavier. These two groups differ in part in terms of occurrence, production, demand and price picture, which is why they each occupy a place on the European Commission’s list of critical raw materials.

Mined: Globally, China is by far the largest producer with 86 percent of world production, followed by Australia (6 percent) and the United States (2 percent). Within the EU, demand is met with imports from China to 99 percent (LREE) and 98 percent (HREE), respectively.

Potential in Sweden: No mining takes place today. Mining has previously taken place in Västmanland County and discussions have taken place regarding the opening of a completely new mine at Norra Kärr in the northernmost county of Jönköping. Known deposits are also found in other places, for example in northeastern Småland and around Bergslagen. In Kiruna, REE is bound in apatite iron ore. LKAB’s project ReeMAP aims, among other things, to utilize REE through the recycling and processing of mining waste.

Vanadium

What: Vanadium (V) is a metallic element that makes up about 120 millionths of the earth’s total chemical composition. In nature, there are a plethora of so-called vanadate minerals, i.e. minerals that have the vanadate ion as the main building block. With increasing demand, other sources have been investigated and currently most vanadium is produced from vanadium-containing magnetite (an iron oxide) extracted from ultramafic igneous rocks.

Vanadium is mainly used for steel production where even small mixtures give significantly increased strength of the final product. Similar effects are also achieved with alloys with aluminum and titanium. Some vanadium alloys are also superconducting materials. Various vanadium compounds are widely used in the chemical industry as catalysts, i.e. substances that accelerate a chemical reaction without themselves being produced or consumed.

Vanadium can also be used to make so-called flow batteries. Such batteries are suitable for large-scale energy storage in electricity networks, for example to even out production from highly varied energy sources such as wind and solar power.

Mined: Vanadium is mainly produced in China (55 percent), South Africa (22 percent) and Russia (19 percent). EU-wide demand is met through imports.

Potential in Sweden: Known mineralizations are found in Småland, Dalarna, Gästrikland, Härjedalen and Jämtland. Exploration has also been conducted in Jämtland and Skåne, among other places. Not mined in Sweden today.

Bismuth

What: Bismuth (Bi) is a metallic element that is very rare, it makes up only about 10 billionths of the earth’s total composition. Bismuth is extracted primarily as a by-product in the production of metals such as lead, copper, tin, molybdenum and tungsten.

Bismuth compounds are used in medicines for diarrhea, bacterial ulcers, eye infections, and more. Some bismuth compounds are also used in animal feed. Bismuth has a relatively high density, almost as high as lead, but unlike lead is not considered toxic. Bismuth can therefore in many cases be used as a non-toxic replacement material for lead, for example in ammunition for hunting weapons, the sink for fishing equipment and in solder.

The metal is also important for the manufacture of alloys with a low melting point. These can be used as soldering materials, in the trigger mechanism of fire detectors and sprinklers, or in castings that require high precision, such as in dental care.

Mined: The largest producers of bismuth are China (85 percent), Laos (7 percent) and Mexico (4 percent). The need within the EU is met almost exclusively through imports from China.

Potential in Sweden: Bismuth was previously mined in Dalarna. Known mineralizations are also found in several places in Bergslagen. Not mined in Sweden today.

Wolfram/Tungsten

What: Tungsten (W) is a rare metallic element that makes up only about one millionth of the earth’s total composition. In nature, tungsten is found in the minerals tungsten and scheelite, which are also the most important ore minerals for the production of tungsten.

Tungsten is perhaps best known for its use as a filament in traditional light bulbs, but its high strength and melting point make the metal suitable for use in a variety of filaments, heating elements, welding electrodes, and more. The metal’s good conductivity and relative reluctance to participate in chemical reactions make it useful in electronics.

Other tungsten-based compounds are very hard and durable materials, such as tungsten carbide. These are used for knives, drills, saws as well as crushing and grinding equipment for the metal, wood, mining, oil and construction industries.

Mined: Globally, China (69 percent), Vietnam (7 percent), the United States (6 percent), Austria (1 percent) and Germany (1 percent) are the main producers of tungsten.

Potential in Sweden: Former mines and other known deposits are found in large parts of the country from Småland in the south to Norrbotten in the north. The potential for new deposits is considered good if new surveys are carried out. Not mined in Sweden today.

Sources: SGU, EU Commission