Iridium
The most corrosion-resistant metal, critical for PEM electrolyzers that make green hydrogen and for crucibles that grow crystals.
Crucibles for growing crystals used in electronics; electrolyzers for hydrogen backup power.
Annual supply is only a few tonnes, mostly from South Africa.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Iridium: key questions
- Where is iridium mined or produced?
- Country-level production data for Iridium is limited or withheld in USGS statistics.
- Is iridium a critical mineral?
- Iridium appears on 8 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is iridium in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. Annual supply is only a few tonnes, mostly from South Africa.
- Why does iridium matter for AI infrastructure?
- Crucibles for growing crystals used in electronics; electrolyzers for hydrogen backup power.
Related minerals
ExplorerRhodium
WatchThe rarest and often priciest PGM, used in catalytic converters and glass-fiber bushings.
Platinum
WatchA precious catalyst metal for vehicle exhausts, hydrogen fuel cells and glass-fiber production. South Africa supplies ~71%.
Ruthenium
WatchA PGM used in hard-disk drives, chip resistors and — increasingly — as a next-generation chip interconnect metal.