Niobium: what it is, what it is used for and why Brazil dominates the world market
Niobium: learn what this metal is, why it makes steel stronger, what it is used for and how Brazil came to own almost all of world production.
Topic
Minerals in Everyday Life
The minerals in your phone, car, home and food, explained without the jargon.
Guides
Minerals in construction: sand, crushed stone, limestone and more
Sand, crushed stone, limestone, gypsum, clay, stone and iron: the minerals used in construction, how much is used, how it is licensed and the impacts.
The minerals in an electric car: from battery to motor
Lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper, rare earths and aluminum: which minerals go into an electric car, where they are and in what amounts.
The minerals that feed agriculture: potassium, phosphate and limestone
Which minerals are in fertilizers, where potassium, phosphate and agricultural lime come from, and why Brazil imports over 90% of its fertilizer.
What minerals are in your phone
Lithium, cobalt, tin, tantalum, indium, copper, gold and rare earths: which minerals are in your phone, where they sit in the device and where they come from.
Mining in everyday life: what comes from mines and is in your home
From the cement in your walls to the phone in your pocket: which minerals are in your home, kitchen, car and food, with data and sources.
Critical and strategic minerals: what they are and why they became a priority
What critical and strategic minerals are under Brazil's Law 15,506/2026, who sets the list, how the US and EU do it, and why demand is growing.
Lithium: what it is, what it is used for and where Brazil produces it
What is lithium used for? Learn what this metal is, where it comes from, how much goes into batteries and how Brazil produces spodumene in Minas Gerais.