Public consultation on ISO proposal for establishment of a Technical Committee on Special Metals and Minerals

A proposal to establish a new ISO technical committee on “Specialty metals and minerals" has been submitted by AFNOR (France). 

Scope: Standardization in the field of specialty metals and minerals. It includes: terminology, classification, sampling, testing and chemical analysis methods, and delivery conditions.

A list of specialty metals and minerals includes: antimony, beryllium, cobalt, chromium, graphite, niobium, platinum group metals.

Excluded are:

− Finished products;

− Sustainability issues;

− Mining, already covered by ISO/TC 82 “Mining”;

− Elements already covered by existing ISO technical committees: ISO/TC 18 Zinc and zinc alloys, ISO/TC 20/SC 18 Materials (under ISO/TC 20 Aircraft and space vehicles, ISO/TC 26 Copper and copper alloys, ISO/TC 79 Light metals (aluminium, titanium, magnesium), ISO/TC 132 Ferroalloys (manganese, chrome in ferroalloys), ISO/TC 155 Nickel and nickel alloys, ISO/TC 183 Copper, lead, zinc and nickel ores and concentrates, ISO/TC 298 Rare earth, ISO/TC 333 Lithium.

Purpose and justification: Specialty metals and minerals are defined as commodities and commodity groups related to a broad range of existing and emerging technologies, renewable energy and national security. The technological innovations developed toward the energy transition require the use of specialty metals and minerals. 

Namely, specialty metals and minerals are used for:

• electric vehicles: cobalt, lanthanum, lithium,
• fuel cells: platinum, palladium, zirconium,
• solar and photovoltaic technologies: cadmium, indium, gallium,
• batteries: lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, vanadium, silicon,
• magnets: cobalt, rare-earth, niobium, antimony, beryllium,
• electronics: bismuth, palladium, silicon, tantalum,
• X-ray windows, radiation windows, lightweight alloys for aerospace: beryllium,
• aerospace and superalloys: tungsten, vanadium, hafnium, niobium,
• capacitors: tantalum,
• nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cladding: zirconium,

The use of specialty metals and minerals requires addressing challenges in several areas:

• economic: some markets are poorly organized and lack transparency. Chemical analysis method standards will contribute to the transparency of the orders and deliveries in the global market.
• technological: some of these metals and minerals are co-products of mining activities. Chemical analysis method standards will provide tools to check their chemical characterization.
• geopolitical: the limited availability of these metals and minerals generates tensions in international markets. International markets will benefit from ISO standards, which will clarify global commercial transactions.

In case of national interest, Bulgaria can support the creation of ISO/TC on Specialty metals and minerals  If the establishment of ISO/TC is accepted by the ISO member bodies, BDS can obtain P- or O-membership in the newly established committee.

Anyone interested in the topic can provide an opinion on the need for the establishment of the new ISO Technical committee to BDS responsible expert Elena Georgieva at elena.georgieva@bds-bg.org, Tel: 00359 2 81 74 594 by 20.05.2023.

For more information see here: