Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Steel Manufacturing

Steel Manufacturing

Steel manufacturing is a multi-stage process that begins by smelting iron ore into cast iron in a blast furnace. This initial stage involves layering iron ore with coke, a type of fuel, and crushed limestone within the furnace. The coke is ignited with a high volume of air, leading to the creation of carbon monoxide, which acts to reduce the iron ore to pure iron.
During this smelting process, limestone plays a crucial role by forming slag. Slag captures impurities within the molten iron, such...

Structural Steel Products

Structural Steel Products

Structural steel products are created within a structural mill. The process begins with a beam blank that is reheated and then fed through a series of rollers. These rollers progressively shape the metal into its final form. Adjusting the spacings between the rollers allows for the production of different sections with the same nominal dimensions.
Once shaped, the steel's final form emerges as a continuous length, which is then segmented by a hot saw into manageable pieces. These segments...

Microbial Leaching

Microbial Leaching

Microbial leaching, also known as bioleaching, is an environmentally favorable method for extracting metals from low-grade ores using specific microorganisms. This biotechnological approach is particularly valuable for mining operations targeting copper, gold, and uranium, where traditional extraction methods may be economically or environmentally impractical.Copper Leaching and Microbial CatalysisIn copper bioleaching, crushed ore is arranged into heaps and irrigated with a dilute sulfuric...

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....

Metal-Ligand Bonds

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbial activity plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and manganese, especially at the redox gradients characteristic of stratified aquatic environments. These cycles are driven by microbial transformations between oxidized and reduced forms of the metals, allowing organisms to exploit them for metabolic energy and structural purposes.Iron Cycling Across Redox GradientsIn neutral, oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is predominantly found in its oxidized, insoluble ferric...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Vanadium: A U.S. Perspective on an Understudied Metal.

Environmental science & technology·2023

Same author

Alloy information helps prioritize material criticality lists.

Nature communications·2022

Same author

YSTAFDB, a unified database of material stocks and flows for sustainability science.

Scientific data·2019

Same author

Analyzing critical material demand: A revised approach.

The Science of the total environment·2018

Same author

Resource Demand Scenarios for the Major Metals.

Environmental science & technology·2018

Same author

Global Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production and Associated Resource Decoupling: 2010-2050.

Environmental science & technology·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Published on: December 6, 2015

By-product metals are technologically essential but have problematic supply.

N T Nassar¹, T E Graedel¹, E M Harper¹

¹Center for Industrial Ecology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Science Advances

|November 25, 2015

Summary

Many essential metals for technology are by-products, risking supply chain stability. Over half of studied metals show high by-product dependence, with 18 facing critical supply risks due to concentrated production and low recycling.

Keywords:

critical metals industrial ecology mineral production resource management sustainability

More Related Videos

An Available Technique for Preparation of New Cast MnCuNiFeZnAl Alloy with Superior Damping Capacity and High Service Temperature

An Available Technique for Preparation of New Cast MnCuNiFeZnAl Alloy with Superior Damping Capacity and High Service Temperature

Published on: September 23, 2018

Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent

Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent

Published on: February 21, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Published on: December 6, 2015

An Available Technique for Preparation of New Cast MnCuNiFeZnAl Alloy with Superior Damping Capacity and High Service Temperature

An Available Technique for Preparation of New Cast MnCuNiFeZnAl Alloy with Superior Damping Capacity and High Service Temperature

Published on: September 23, 2018

Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent

Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent

Published on: February 21, 2017

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Geochemistry
Supply Chain Management

Background:

Technological innovation relies on diverse metals, but supply chain vulnerabilities are growing.
Many critical metals are by-products of limited ore deposits, creating supply risks.
Companionality, a metal's by-product status, significantly impacts supply chain reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the companionality of 62 metals and metalloids.
To identify critical metals at high risk of supply constraints.
To assess the link between companionality, geopolitical concentration, and recycling rates.

Main Methods:

Evaluated the companionality of 62 metals and metalloids.
Analyzed production data for geopolitical concentration.
Assessed end-of-life recycling rates for critical elements.

Main Results:

61% (38 of 62) of metals exhibit over 50% companionality.
Eighteen metals, including germanium, terbium, and dysprosium, have concentrated production and low recycling.
These critical companion metals are vital for electronics, solar energy, and medical imaging.

Conclusions:

A significant portion of essential metals face supply risks due to their by-product nature.
Geopolitically concentrated production and low recycling exacerbate supply risks for critical companion metals.
Urgent strategies are needed to mitigate supply constraints for these vital technological elements.