Table 1.
A selection of the most economically important raw materials, mostly CRMs, listed in order of ascending atomic number (Z).
| Atomic Number |
Element | Main Production Country | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z = 3 | Li | Chile, Australia, China, Argentina | Batteries |
| Z = 4 | Be | United States, China, Kazakhstan | Foils used as radiation windows for X-ray detectors due to the low absorption of X-ray radiation High-speed aircrafts, satellites, and telescopes due to its stiffness and light weight Alloys with high electrical conductivity, high strength and hardness, corrosion, and fatigue resistant Mirrors Radio communications, nuclear applications, acoustic, electronics |
| Z = 5 | B | Turkey, United States | Glass fibers, borosilicate glass with good resistance to thermal shocks Ceramics High-hardness and abrasive compounds Steels for nuclear industry Semiconductors Magnets Pharmaceutical applications |
| Z = 15 | P | China, Morocco, US, Russia | Metallurgy, electronics (light-emitting diodes) |
| Z = 21 | Sc | Ukraine, China, Russia | Aluminum alloys Mirrors for aerospace applications, lamps |
| Z = 22 | Ti | China, Japan, Russia | Engines, alloys, paints, medical applications, aerospace industry, etc. |
| Z = 23 | V | China, South Africa, Russia | Electrically conductive and thermal insulating metal, harder than most metals, with good resistance to corrosion, stable against strong acids; hence, it has a lot of application in industry Alloys as steel additive Catalysts |
| Z = 24 | Cr 1 | South Africa, Kazakhstan, India, Russia, Turkey | Metallurgy, steel alloys due to excellent high temperature properties, high hardness and corrosion resistance Pigments |
| Z = 27 | Co | Congo, Russia, Australia, Canada, Rwanda | Alloys corrosion resistant for gas turbines and aircraft jet engines Magnets Batteries (LiCoO2) Catalysts Pigments and coloring (blue) |
| Z = 31 | Ga | China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine | Semiconductors Alloys |
| Z = 32 | Ge | China, Russia, United States | Optical applications Electronics |
| Z = 34 | Se 1 | Germany, Japan, Belgium, Russia | Glass production Alloys Batteries, solar cells |
| Z = 38 | Sr | China, Spain, Mexico | Radiopharmaceutical, cathode ray tubes |
| Z = 41 | Nb | Brazil, Canada | Steel production Alloys and superalloys Superconducting magnets Electroceramics |
| Z = 49 | In | China, South Korea, Japan, Canada | Semiconductors |
| Z = 51 | Sb | China, Russia, Tajikistan, Bolivia | Flame retardants Alloys Semiconductors Catalyst |
| Z = 52 | Te 1 | Z = 52 | Metallurgy Semiconductors, solar cells |
| Z = 73 | Ta | Rwanda, Congo, Brazil | Electronics Alloys |
| Z = 74 | W | China, Vietnam, Russia | Electrodes, heating elements, super-alloys, wear-resistant coatings, chemical applications, electronics etc. |
| Z = 83 | Bi | China, Vietnam, Mexico | Pigments Alloys |
| Z = 57 to Z = 71 | Rare Earth Elements |
China | Catalyst Metallurgy Glass Ceramics |
1 Not in EU CRMs list.