Critical metals supply strained

Mining and metals production is a critical but often overlooked industry. Its supply chains are far removed from the eventual products we encounter in our daily lives. But those supply chains are not always as robust as we might expect. Chemistry World has taken a deep dive into the complexities around supplies of cobalt, and other materials – including some perhaps unexpected metals like rhenium, hafnium and antimony – whose military applications mean supply chains have been perturbed by conflict in Europe and the Middle East.