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Analysis of critical raw materials

With more than 30 years of experience in trace element analysis and a custom-built laboratory, ALS Scandinavia in northern Sweden offers analysis of critical raw materials using high-resolution ICP-MS (ICP-SFMS) with low limits of quantification (LOQ). Critical raw materials – such as rare earth elements (REE), platinum group elements (PGE) and technology critical elements (TCE) – typically occur at trace and ultra-trace levels in environmental samples, placing high demands on analytical capability.

Our laboratory is equipped to handle and analyse most sample types, including:

Water
Soil, sediment and sludge
Biota
Waste
Geological material
Material samples

ALS Scandinavia was an active partner in the European research network COST Action TD1407 (2014–2019), focused on developing analytical methods for critical raw materials at low concentrations – work that has further strengthened our expertise and methodologies.

Our analytical scope

See our complete list of critical raw materials analysed at the ALS laboratory in Luleå, as well as our analytical packages for REE and PGE.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Explore rare earth elements (REE) tests

Explore platinum group elements (PGE) tests

Complete list of the critical raw materials we analyse

Antimony, Sb	Iridium, Ir
Barium (baryte), Ba	Osmium, Os
Beryllium, Be	Palladium, Pd
Bismuth, Bi	Platinum, Pt
Boron (borate), B	Rhodium, Rh
Cobalt, Co	Ruthenium, Ru
Gallium, Ga	Cerium, Ce
Germanium, Ge	Dysprosium, Dy
Hafnium, Hf	Erbium, Er
Indium, In	Europium, Eu
Magnesium, Mg	Gadolinium, Gd
Niobium, Nb	Holmium, Ho
Phosphorous, P	Lanthanum, La
Scandium, Sc	Lutetium, Lu
Silicon metal, Si	Neodymium, Nd
Tantalum, Ta	Praseodymium, Pr
Tungsten, W	Samarium, Sm
Vanadium, V	Terbium, Tb
Aluminum (bauxite), Al	Yttrium, Y
Lithium, Li	Ytterbium, Yb
Titanium, Ti
Strontium, Sr

Blue cells indicate metals in the platinum group (PGE) and green cells indicate rare earth elements (REE). Nickel, Ni, is a metal that may be added to the list in the future.

Custom-built for excellence

Laboratory for analysis of critical raw materials at trace and ultra trace levels.

The trace metals laboratory

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What are critical raw materials?

Critical raw materials are elements and minerals considered to be economically important while also having a high supply risk. They are indispensable components in modern technology and industry yet are only extracted in a small number of countries worldwide. The EU regularly publishes a list of critical raw materials – the 2023 EU list contains 34 materials, including:

Rare earth elements (REE)
Platina group elements (PGE)
Technical critical elements (TCE)

Why is it relevant to analyse critical raw materials?

As the world transitions towards green energy and increased digitalisation, the demand for critical raw materials is growing rapidly. This increases the need to quantify and monitor these substances in the environment. Relevant areas of concern include:

Environmental monitoring – during extraction, manufacturing and recycling, these metals can be released into the environment and affect ecosystems and water quality.
Health risks – some of these metals can be toxic and bioaccumulative, meaning they build up in the food chain and may pose a risk to human health.
Biochemical cycles – the rapidly increasing use of these metals affects their natural cycles in the environment in ways that are not yet fully understood.
Legislation and threshold values – new legislation and environmental requirements demand the ability to measure and report concentrations of these substances.
Source tracing – critical raw materials can serve as tracers to identify and monitor releases from specific activities, such as mining or industrial processes. See table below.
Resource management and recycling – analysis is a prerequisite for the recovery and reuse of these valuable and scarce materials.

Critical raw materials as potential tracers

Critical raw materials are used in the development and manufacturing of renewable energy sources (wind and solar power), energy storage (batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage), high-technology products (smartphones, computers and displays), the automotive industry (catalytic converters and electric motors) and medical technology (medical devices and equipment).

Since critical raw materials are used in specific technologies, they can serve as tracers to monitor and identify releases into the environment throughout the entire life cycle of a product. Below are examples of links between elements and their areas of use:

Element	Area of use
Ruthenium (Ru) and Iridium (Ir)	Electronics
Rhodium (Rh) and Platinum (Pt)	Catalytic converters
Palladium (Pd)	Catalytic converters, catalysts
Osmium (Os)	Staining
Cobalt (Co) and Lithium (Li)	Batteries
Cerium (Ce)	Lighter flints, catalytic converters
Praseodymium (Pr)	Aircraft engine alloys
Neodymium (Nd)	Magnets
Gallium (Ga)	Computer chips, semi-conductors

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Analysis of critical raw materials