Spider Web Depiction of Mineral Applications: An Essential Guide to Critical Mineral Utilisation Review

International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 159 Spider Web Depiction of Mineral Applications: An Essential Guide to Critical Mineral Utilisation Review Pratap V. Nair Retired Exploration Petroleum Geologist, Devidarshan, Kawdiar, Thiruvananthapuram - 695003, Kerala, India ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT ©2025 RS Publication Paper ID: IJASTR692D20396120B Published: 2025-12-02 DOI: https://dx.doi.org /10.5281/zenodo.17 790622 Page No: 159-165 RHS Robertson created the Spider web diagrams for 32 minerals as early as 1960. This design was intended to provide a quick overview of the main applications of a rock or mineral. The format has been deliberately selected to prompt the reader to consider the raw materials in their mineral or rock forms, rather than just the finished products. Critical minerals are mineral resources vital to the global economy, and their availability may be at risk. They are essential to advancing key technologies for the energy transition. The spider diagrams for specific critical and near-critical minerals have been prepared after Roberston, showcasing examples of Lithium and Silica usage, along with a summary of their primary applications. This should be expanded to include all critical minerals outlined by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, in 2023. Key words: Rocks, Minerals, Critical minerals, Spider web, Lithium, Rare Earths and Silica Corresponding Author: Pratap V Nair;  [email protected] INTRODUCTION In 1960, RHS Robertson, a Scottish Resource Planner, proposed representing mineral use as a spider web to highlight the original rock or mineral from which the final product is derived. I Spider webs visually illustrate the primary applications of a rock or mineral at a glance. Their structure has been deliberately chosen to encourage the viewer to expand their perspective outward from International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html ISSN 2249-9954 Cite This Paper: PRATAP V NAIR (2025). "Spider Web Depiction of Mineral Applications: An Essential Guide to Critical Mineral Utilisation Review". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH (IJASTR), vol. 15, no. 6, 2025, pp. 159-165. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17790622 International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 160 the rock or mineral, which acts as the raw material. This method starkly contrasts with the traditional view of raw materials, which often sees them as something lying behind us. Our focus tends to be heavily on manufactured goods, causing us to overlook raw materials. At this critical juncture, when the world is engaged in a latent competition for these vital resources—which are both geographically concentrated and unevenly distributed—it is essential to highlight them to raise public awareness of their scarcity. Mineral Utilisation Diagram Ideally, a diagram illustrating mineral use should depict, in the innermost ring, the standard unit processes used to prepare the mineral for market or further processing. The second ring should highlight the primary physical properties that essentially dictate the range of applications in the third, outermost ring. However, it may not always be feasible to adhere strictly to this framework. The rationale is that certain minerals have so few applications that a specialised diagram is produced. In some instances, a single property may influence multiple end uses. I Specific minerals have size classifications that dictate their utilisation, necessitating subdivision based on their physical characteristics. When chemical properties take precedence over physical ones, the diagram transforms, and the essential mineral Lithium is entirely redefined. Each diagram depicts all known applications of a mineral, although some uses might not be included. Therefore, it is evident that no single occurrence of a rock or mineral can cover the entire range of applications. Understanding the chemical and physical properties of the minerals or rocks should enable one to evaluate the potential uses of a specific rock or mineral. However, validation through laboratory testing remains crucial. Critical Minerals Critical minerals are mineral resources vital to the global economy, and their availability may be disrupted. II The importance of these minerals evolves as societal demands and supplies change over time. They are integral to advancing essential technologies for the energy transition. Elements such as cobalt, lithium, nickel, manganese, and graphite are crucial for battery production, while rare-earth elements are indispensable for wind energy, and silicon is required for solar technology. The critical mineral lists of most nations typically feature copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare-earth elements. These minerals are extensively utilised in clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicle batteries and motors, as well as in energy transmission infrastructure, such as power lines. Indian Context India has classified critical minerals based on their disruption potential, substitutability, crosssectoral use, import dependency, recycling rates, and other factors. The Expert Committee under the Ministry of Mines identified 30 critical minerals for India, in addition to rare earth minerals, in 2023. III International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 161 These are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium. The States/Union Territories that host these 30 identified critical minerals are Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu and Kashmir. III Most Recent Utility The pattern of mineral use evolves over time, year by year. Therefore, the diagrams do not indicate the relative importance of utility. Some uses may have become obsolete, while others are gaining significance. The 21st century, especially the 2020s, has seen the rise of critical minerals. Consequently, an effort has been made to create a guide on the use of critical minerals as an initial step. Examples of Critical Mineral Spider Webs The minerals criticality matrix for the medium term (2025-2035) was developed by the University of Michigan in 2025 IV (Figure 1). Figure 1: Materials criticality matrix, medium term 2025-2035 IV International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 162 Below are some key and near-critical mineral use guides presented in a spider format, as envisioned by Robertson. The updated use diagrams for specific minerals—Lithium, Silica, Rare-earth minerals, Fluoride, Titanium, and Zirconium—are shown in Figures 2-7. I Figure 2: Lithium Minerals Use Guide, after I Figure 3: Silica Use Guide, after I International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 163 Figure 4: Rare Earth Minerals Use Guide, after I Figure 5: Fluorite Use Guide, after I International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 164 Figure 6: Titanium Minerals Use Guide, after I Figure 7: Zirconium Mineral Use Guide, after I International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research ISSN 2249-9954 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html volume 15, No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17790622 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublic[email protected] 165 CONCLUSION Minerals are essential to human society. The mineral use guide, established in 1960, has been updated to include critical minerals of the 21st century, aiming to raise public awareness about the scarcity of these raw materials—namely rocks and minerals, which are often overlooked despite the prominence of manufactured products derived from them. The use diagram functions as a single illustration illustrating the characteristics of minerals and rocks used by humans. It is vital to create such diagrams for all thirty Critical minerals identified by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, in 2023, to benefit the general public. Let this mark the start of our effort to utilise our rocks and minerals fully for economic gain and strength. REFERENCE I R.H.S Robertson,1960.Mineral Use Guide or Robertson’s Spider Webs, Cleaver-Hume Press Ltd. II Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2022. “Critical Materials Factsheet.” Pub. No. CSS14-15. III Critical Minerals’ Conundrum IV Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2025. “Critical Materials Factsheet.” Pub. No. CSS14-15.