MEI's Critical Minerals '26: Addressing the Real Challenges in Processing and Recycling

Critical minerals are natural resources essential to modern economies and national security. They are vital in advanced technologies, clean energy solutions, and defence applications, but are increasingly vulnerable to supply disruptions. Replacing them is often difficult or impossible without compromising performance.

Currently, many conferences are being held on the topic of critical minerals, often focusing on geopolitical dynamics and supply chain vulnerabilities. However, MEI’s Critical Minerals ’26 stands out for its emphasis on processing and the unique challenges of recycling end-of-life products such as smartphones and other waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

While one could argue that nearly all minerals are becoming "critical," the most frequently cited include:

• Lithium – Crucial for batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
• Cobalt – Key component in battery technology and superalloys.
• Rare Earth Elements (REEs) – Used in electronics, wind turbines, and military systems.
• Nickel – Vital in stainless steel production and battery manufacturing.
• Graphite – Used in battery anodes and lubricants.
• Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) – Found in catalytic converters and fuel cells.

The processing and recycling of critical minerals present numerous complex technical and economic challenges. Many of these processes are energy- and water-intensive, an issue in regions where such resources are scarce or unsustainable. Critical minerals, such as rare earths, are typically found in low concentrations, and their separation requires energy-intensive, chemically harsh techniques. For example, China dominates the global rare earth processing market but also generates significant toxic and radioactive waste as a byproduct (posting of 11th February 2013).

The Circular Economy is often described as the "holy grail" of sustainable resource use, achievable only through the effective recycling of end-of-life products. Yet, critical minerals are often used in small quantities, dispersed across complex products, making recovery technically difficult and economically unfeasible. Infrastructure gaps further hinder progress; many countries lack adequate facilities for collecting, sorting, and processing these materials from discarded electronics.

Consider the smartphone: each device contains over 30 critical elements, most in trace amounts, yet each essential to its function. With more than 1.5 billion smartphones produced annually, the demand for these materials, and the volume of e-waste, continues to rise. Every year, thousands of tonnes of cobalt, gold, lithium, and rare earth elements are embedded in these devices.

Indium is a notable example. Used in touchscreens (as indium tin oxide), a typical smartphone contains only about 0.02 grams. However, total usage amounts to 100-200 tonnes annually across smartphones and computer/TV monitors. As indium is primarily recovered as a byproduct of zinc mining, scaling up supply in response to demand is difficult. Moreover, known reserves are projected to last only a few more years.

To meet global net-zero targets, the production of critical minerals must increase dramatically. The table below illustrates a sobering reality: at current extraction rates, we lack the physical supply to produce even one generation of renewable energy infrastructure, let alone maintain a sustainable cycle every 20 years, which is the typical lifespan of such technology.

For instance: a full transition away from internal combustion engines would require a massive increase in lithium supply. Achieving net zero would demand a 190-year supply of copper at current production rates.

Critical Minerals ’26, the 2nd in the MEI series (see reports on Critical Minerals '24) will spotlight innovative processing technologies and flowsheets for recovering critical minerals from both primary and secondary sources. Special attention will be given to the recycling of materials from WEEE and lithium-ion batteries, the most complex and pressing challenges in realising a true circular economy.

An early sponsor for Critical Minerals 26 is Promet101, and media partners are International Mining and Minerals Engineering. CEEC: Coalition for Minerals Efficiency is an industry advocate. 

Why not make the most of November next year, and spend a week at Cape Town's Vineyard Hotel with Process Mineralogy '26 immediately preceding Critical Minerals '26?

Sundowner at Critical Minerals '24

#CriticalMinerals26