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Many of the minerals on the critical minerals list are byproducts of mining other minerals, such as copper, gold and zinc. Modern technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicle engines and batteries often rely on these minerals. Byproduct minerals are secondary minerals that are incidentally produced or recovered during the mining and processing of primary minerals or metals. Byproduct minerals are not the primary target of mining operations but are obtained during the processing of primary ores and often add economic value to the mining project. For example, cobalt and tellurium can be byproducts of mining copper, gold and zinc.
Despite the growing demand for these by-product minerals, geochemical testing has traditionally focused on the primary mineral. This has left researchers with little data on the abundance of by-product minerals.
Recognizing this gap, the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey, Geoscience Australia, and the Geological Survey of Canada) released its first database and portal on critical minerals in ores in 2021.
This is the first time that a consensus classification has been reached across multiple countries, providing consistent geochemical data from mineral deposit samples around the world. The classification involves classifying mineral deposits according to a scheme and framework agreed upon by three international partners. By combining sample data from the three countries, researchers can obtain a broader data set to better understand and model the origin of key minerals.
The latest update to the database and portal further expands this opportunity by establishing a formal process with specific criteria that enables any institution or other organization around the world to contribute to the database of critical minerals in ores. The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative aims to enhance global knowledge sharing on these minerals, which are gradually transitioning from being mere by-products to minerals of value in their own right.
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Carousal Photo Caption: Ernest Henry Copper-Gold Mine, Queensland, Australia
Critical Minerals Mapping Program
Database of key minerals in ores
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