Critical materials are integral in energy and technology applications, have unique properties, may be rare in abundance, and are an essential pillar supporting modern society. However, their stable supply to industry is often uncertain and their environmental behavior and impacts are often poorly understood. Additionally, some critical materials are obtained from mining as byproducts or coproducts, making their supply dependent on the production of the primary commodity. An increase in demand combined with their unique characteristics highlight the importance of determining the lifecycle of critical materials; this session seeks to bring together research activities focused on this topic. We invite presentations broadly related to the lifecycles of critical materials, including material flow studies, critical element enrichment processes during ore genesis, behavior during ore extraction and refining, environmental releases and behavior, biological considerations, and health impacts.

• B - Biogeosciences

• CGU: Canadian Geophysical Union -
• EGU: European Geosciences Union -
• GS: Geochemical Society -
• GSA: Geological Society of America -