Mineral to Metal Traceability

Description of impact

Traceability is imperative for ensuring the transparency, accountability and sustainability of global supply chains of minerals and metals. The ability to trace and track the refining of mineral raw materials requires full documentation and transmission of information relevant. Equally important is to have a holistic understanding of the minerals and their metals and all their derivative products with respect to their geological, mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic characteristics. The former, known as document- or paper-based traceability, has been under active investigation by many research initiatives, while the latter, known as geo-based traceability, is the focal point of this research.

Who is affected

Policy makers, particularly in Nordic countries, seeking to ensure sustainable and accountable rare earth supply chains

Narrative

The document discusses the importance of traceability in the mineral and metal supply chain, particularly for rare earth elements. It presents a proof-of-concept study on geo-based traceability, which involves identifying unique geo-signatures in rare earth minerals and their contained metals. The study explores the feasibility of using mineralogical and geochemical signatures to discriminate and identify the source of minerals and derivative metals. It also highlights the challenges and limitations of developing geo-based traceability, including the complexity of mineral processing and the need for long-term and in-depth research. The document aims to contribute to the development of a comprehensive traceability system for rare earth elements and other critical minerals. The study suggests that geo-signatures can be used to identify the origin of minerals and metals, but that this requires precise knowledge of the ore deposits and their geochemical properties. The document also notes that the ratios between rare earth elements can be used to identify the source of metals, but that this is not always possible due to the complexity of mineral processing. The study concludes that geo-based traceability is a promising approach for improving transparency and accountability in the mineral and metal supply chain, but that further research is needed to develop this approach.

Impact status	Open
Impact date	18 Sept 2024
Category of impact	Economic, Commercial Impact, Public Discourse Impact