Critical Elements

Elements are considered to be “critical” if they have significant supply risk issues and if restricted, could harm a company’s business or a nation’s economy.  The chemical industry, including the pharmaceutical industry, is dependent upon petroleum feedstocks to supply a significant proportion of its starting materials.  However, in addition to this, metals, and many other elements that are declining in stocks, are also widely employed, in particular the use of platinum group metals catalysts, which will have a significant effect on the industry in the future.  The concept of elemental sustainability, a concept whereby each element within the periodic table is guaranteed for use by both current and future generations, is therefore becoming increasingly important. [1]

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module you should:

• Understand the factors contributing to elemental sustainability;
• Be aware of the alternatives to mining to source critical elements;

and be able to: 

• Describe the current practices of obtaining elements;
• Describe linear and circular economies.