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| Mineral | Uses | 2010 Production (thousands of metric tons) | 2010 Reserves (thousands of metric tons) | Estimated Life of Reserves (years) |
| Rare earths | catalysts, alloys, electronics, phosphors, magnets | 130 | 110,000 | 846 |
| Lithium | ceramics, glass, lithium-ion batteries in electronics and electric cars | 25.3 | 13,000 | 514 |
| Phosphate rock | fertilizer, animal feed supplement | 176,000 | 65,000,000 | 369 |
| Platinum Group | catalysts, electronics, glass, jewelry | 0.4 | 66 | 178 |
| Aluminum ore | Al cans, airplanes, building, electrical | 211,000 | 28,000,000 | 133 |
| Titanium minerals | white pigment, metal in airplanes and human joint replacements | 6,300 | 690,000 | 110 |
| Cobalt | airplane engines, metals, chemicals | 88 | 7,300 | 83 |
| Iron ore | main ingredient in steel | 2,400,000 | 180,000,000 | 75 |
| Nickel | important alloy in steel, electroplating | 1,550 | 76,000 | 49 |
| Manganese | important alloy in steel | 13,000 | 630,000 | 48 |
| Copper | electrical wire, electronics, pipes, ingredient in brass | 16,200 | 630,000 | 39 |
| Silver | industry, coins, jewelry, photography | 22.2 | 510 | 23 |
| Zinc | galvanized steel, alloys, brass | 12,000 | 250,000 | 21 |
| Lead | batteries | 4,100 | 80,000 | 20 |
| Tin | electrical, cans, construction, | 261 | 5,200 | 20 |
| Gold | jewelry, arts, electronics, dental | 2.5 | 51 | 20 |
A more complex analysis of future depletions of our mineral supplies predicts that 20 out of 23 minerals studied will likely experience a permanent shortfall in global supply by 2030 where global production is less than global demand ( Clugston, 2010 ). Specifically this study concludes the following: for cadmium, gold, mercury, tellurium, and tungsten—they have already passed their global production peak, their future production only will decline, and it is nearly certain that there will be a permanent global supply shortfall by 2030; for cobalt, lead, molybdenum, platinum group metals, phosphate rock, silver, titanium, and zinc—they are likely at or near their global production peak and there is a very high probability that there will be a permanent global supply shortfall by 2030; for chromium, copper, indium, iron ore, lithium, magnesium compounds, nickel, and phosphate rock—they are expected to reach their global production peak between 2010 and 2030 and there is a high probability that there will be a permanent global supply shortfall by 2030; and for bauxite, rare earth minerals, and tin—they are not expected to reach their global production peak before 2030 and there is a low probability that there will be a permanent global supply shortfall by 2030. It is important to note that these kinds of predictions of future mineral shortages are difficult and controversial. Other scientists disagree with Clugston’s predictions of mineral shortages in the near future. Predictions similar to Clugston were made in the 1970s and they were wrong. It is difficult to know exactly the future demand for minerals and the size of future mineral reserves. The remaining life for specific minerals will decrease if future demand increases. On the other hand, mineral reserves can increase if new mineral deposits are found (increasing the known amount of ore) or if currently unprofitable mineral deposits become profitable ones due to either a mineral price increase or technological improvements that make mining or processing cheaper. Mineral resources , a much larger category than mineral reserves, are the total amount of a mineral that is not necessarily profitable to mine today but that has some sort of economic potential.
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