The Current Status and Development Demand Analysis of Certified Reference Materials for Strategic Critical Metal Minerals

Certified reference materials (CRMs) are used as the basis for verifying authenticity to obtain accurate and reliable sample analysis results of strategic critical metal minerals. Over three hundred critical metal ore CRMs have been produced in China during the past decades, including most mineral varieties and mineralizing types of metals such as ferrous, non-ferrous, precious, rare, rare earth, and dispersed, and have played an important role in research, exploration, and exploitation of China’s strategic metallic mineral resources. From 1984 to 2021, the number of first-class critical metal ore CRMs increased steadily (25 every five years), and the number of second-class national CRMs increased significantly in the past decade (60 every five years). Compared with metallogenetic elements, the property values of CRMs have more focus on the elements related to new energy and comprehensive utilization. Although the number and production techniques of critical metal ore CRMs have improved in recent years, they still have limitations: (1) CRMs for boundary and minimum industrial grades non-ferrous metal ore (such as tungsten ore, tin ore, and cobalt ore) are incomplete. (2) Only a few types and quantities of CRMs are available for the analysis of rare, rare earth and dispersed elements, which is unable to meet the demand. (3) The theoretical basis of the development of CRMs such as chemical phase analysis, in situ analysis, and field on site analysis is relatively weak. Based on the shortcomings of available CRMs for strategic metal minerals, it propose that the production of further CRMs should satisfy the demands for mineral analysis of the supply chain from mining to manufacturing. Meanwhile, more research on production and certification of CRMs for isotope analysis, in situ analysis and field on site analysis should be carried out to provide quality assurance and analysis technical assistance for strategic mineral exploration, mining, processing, and smelting.