Critical Metals/Risk Lists
The following are different examples of the latest available list of critical metals from various sources as stated:
1. Source: criticalmetals.com (current list as of March 2013)
| Aluminium | Beryllium | Cerium | Copper | Dysprosium | Erbium |
| Europium | Gadolinium | Gallium | Gold | Holmium | Indium |
| Iridium | Lanthanum | Lithium | Lutetium | Magnesium | Manganese |
| Molybdenum | Neodymium | Niobium | Osmium | Palladium | Platinum |
| Praseodymium | Rhenium | Rhodium | Ruthenium | Samarium | Scandium |
| Silver | Tantalum | Terbium | Thulium | Titanium | Tungsten |
| Vanadium | Ytterbium | Yttrium |
Note: The x 16 rare earth metals (promethium not referenced) contained in the criticalmetals.com list are indicated by italics.
2. Source: Kaiser list of critical metals (Critical Metals Report as presented at the Critical Metals Emergency Forum in Toronto, March 2011)
| Antimony | Bismuth | Cerium | Chromium | Cobalt | Dysprosium |
| Europium | Gallium | Germanium | Indium | Lanthanum | Molybdenum |
| Neodymium | Niobium | Palladium | Platinum | Praseodymium | Rhodium |
| Samarium | Scandium | Selenium | Tantalum | Tellurium | Terbium |
| Tin | Titanium | Tungsten | Vanadium | Yttrium | Zirconium |
Note: In the above list only 10 of the total 17 rare earth metals are included, again indicated by italics.
3. British Geological Survey – Latest Risk List (September 2012)
First introduced in 2011, the BGS risk list gives an indication of the relative risk to supply of 41 elements or element groups based on their abundance, production and reserves, as well as the political risks in producing countries.
The 41 (from previous 2011 BSGS Risk List of 52) chemical elements/element groups on the latest BGS Risk list are as follows (in order of risk, 10 being very high risk, to 1 being very low risk):
| Rare earth elements (9.5) | Thorium (7.6) | Nickel (6.2) |
| Tungsten (9.5) | Indium (7.6) | Rhenium (6.2) |
| Antimony (9.0) | Gallium (7.6) | Lead (6.2) |
| Bismuth (9.0) | Arsenic (7.6) | Diamond (6.2) |
| Molybdenum (8.6) | Magnesium (7.1) | Manganese (5.7) |
| Strontium (8.6) | Tantalum (7.1) | Gold (5.7) |
| Mercury (8.6) | Selenium (7.1) | Uranium (5.7) |
| Barium (8.1) | Cadmium (6.7) | Zirconium (5.7) |
| Graphite (8.1) | Lithium (6.7) | Iron (5.2) |
| Beryllium (8.1) | Vanadium (6.7) | Titanium (4.8) |
| Germanium (8.1) | Tin (6.7) | Aluminium (4.8) |
| Niobium (7.6) | Fluorine (6.7) | Zinc (4.8) |
| PGMs (Platinum Group Metals) (7.6) | Silver (6.2) | Copper (4.3) |
| Cobalt (7.6) | Chromium (6.2) |
4. American Resources Policy Network Report (Reviewing Risk: Critical Metals & National Security) June 2012
As a result of the lack of consensus with respect to a definitive list of critical metals, this report consulted various US Government reports (Government Accountability Office, Defence Logistics Agency, Department of Defence, the Congressional Research Service, the Institute for Defence Analyses, the National Research Council, and the Department of Energy) and reconciled the findings that overlapped and diverged within these reports.
These reconciled findings resulted in a ‘Risk Pyramid’, with three layers from top (highest risk) to bottom (lowest risk) as follows:
| TOP LEVEL | ||||
| Aluminium | Beryllium | Chromium | Cobalt | Manganese |
| Niobium/Columbium | Platinum | Tantalum | Tin | Titanium |
| Tungsten | Yttrium | Zinc | ||
| MEDIUM LEVEL | ||||
| Bauxite | Bismuth | Copper | Europium | Iridium |
| Lanthanum | Molybdenum | Neodymium | Nickel | Samarium |
| Silicon | ||||
| LOWER LEVEL | ||||
| Antimony | Beryl Ore | Cadmium | Cerium | Chromite Ore |
| Dysprosium | Fluorspar | Gadolinium | Gallium | Germanium |
| Indium | Lead | Lutetium | Mercury | Palladium |
| Praseodymium | Rhenium | Rhodium | Scandium | Silver |
| Terbium | Vanadium | |||
The following minerals were also referenced on a ‘Watch List’ below the American Resources Risk Pyramid:
| WATCH LIST | ||||
| Arsenic | Boron | Chrome | Diamond Stone | Erbium |
| Hafnium | Holmium | Lithium | Magnesium | Mica |
| Promethium | Quartz | Quartz Crystals | Ruthenium | Selenium |
| Strontium | Talc | Tellurium | Thulium | Ytterbium |
| Zirconium | ||||
5. Critical/Strategic Metals Listed by the EU and UK Science & Technology Committee
| Antimony | Beryllium | Chromium | Cobalt | Fluorspar |
| Gallium | Germanium | Gold | Graphite | Hafnium |
| Indium | Lithium | Magnesium | Nickel | Niobium |
| PGMs | Rare Earths | Rhenium | Tantalum | Tellurium |
| Tungsten |
Source: www.croner.co.uk
