These materials that are in everything

In the midst of the global electrification race, Quebec has identified minerals of the future, also known as “critical and strategic minerals”, to ensure that it does not miss the energy transition train.

These materials that are in everything

In the midst of the global electrification race, Quebec has identified minerals of the future, also known as “critical and strategic minerals”, to ensure that it does not miss the energy transition train.

GRAPHITE

Lithium-ion batteries, coatings, brake and clutch linings, engine parts, electric generators, anti-corrosive paints, industrial lubricants, powders... graphite is very popular. Recently, the explosion in demand for batteries for computers, smartphones and tablets has propelled it to new heights.

LITHIUM

Batteries, glasses, ceramics, lubricating greases, rubber... lithium is used in the manufacture of many products, underlines the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MERN). It is used in energy (manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries), in transport (hybrid and electric vehicles) and in telecommunications (cell phones).

NICKEL

Stainless steel, nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles... nickel is used in the manufacture of many everyday products, notes Natural Resources Canada (RNC).

COPPER

Wires, electrical cables, plumbing, industrial machinery, building materials, solar cells, electric vehicles... copper is highly sought after, according to the Government of Canada, which notes that Quebec was the fourth largest province in the country in 2020 .

NIOBIUM

Coins, nuclear reactors, sprinklers, missiles, cutting tools, pipes, super magnets, welding rods... niobium is found everywhere, observes Mines Quebec. The automotive industry, infrastructure and heavy engineering, the petrochemical sector, power plants and aircraft engines need it.

ZINC 

Zinc is used to galvanize products, such as protecting steel and iron from rust. Door handles, plumbing, fertilizers, skin creams, tires... zinc is used in the composition of several products, notes Natural Resources Canada (RNC).

COBALT

Alloys, superalloys, aerospace, nuclear reactors, dental prostheses, permanent magnets... cobalt is very popular, and is even more so since the rise of electric vehicles whose battery can contain up to 15 kg of cobalt, according to SIDEX, the limited partnership of the Government of Quebec and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.

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