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In Newfoundland and Labrador, the ground beneath our feet contains many valuable mineral commodities, with discoveries being made all the time. Some of the historically valuable commodities that Newfoundland has produced include iron ore, gold, copper, silica, gypsum, fluorspar, asbestos, pyrite, and more.
Recently, there has been a surge in demand for “critical minerals.” In Canada, critical minerals are needed to transition to a low-carbon and digitized economy. These minerals will help Canada become a major player in the world economy as more people, cities, companies, and countries transition away from fossil fuels and towards electrification. In Newfoundland and Labrador, some of our historically valuable commodities are on the list of critical minerals, such as copper and fluorspar; but we also have active mining operations or deposits of several others like cobalt, lithium, nickel, antimony, zinc, chromium, platinum group metals and rare earth elements.
Used in the production of semiconductors, batteries, cable sheathing, fire resistant materials.
Used in the construction of building, wiring and motors for electronics, industrial machinery, and jewelry
Used in the manufacturing of aluminum, gasoline, insulating foam, refrigerants, steel, and uranium fuel.
Used to make jewelry, as a conductor in electronics, and has applications in dentistry
Used to manufacture sheetrock/drywall/wallboard, cement, plaster of Paris, as a conditioner in soil mixtures, and a hardening retarder in cement-type mixtures like mortar, stucco, and grout.
Essential to making steel and used to make alloys with other metals.
Used in alloys, like stainless steel, to prevent corrosion. Also used in rechargeable batteries like those found in EV’s and laptops.
Used to manufacture and produce ceramics, paints, insecticides, and rubber.
Used for medical treatments, catalytic converters, spark plugs, virtually all electronics, and to produce high purity crystals for the medical industry.
Used for manufacturing cell phones, digital cameras, LED’s, computer monitors, and most other high tech devices.
Used as a fuel for nuclear power and as the base material to produce other nuclear elements such as plutonium and thorium.
Used to galvanize other metals to prevent corrosion, used in alloys to form other materials such as brass, and finally as zinc oxide for use in rubber manufacturing and skin ointments.