# The Periodic Table of Commodities

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/

120 raw materials, from water and grains to lithium and rare earths: where each comes from, who produces it, how it trades and prices, what it emits and how critical it is.

## Water

- [Water](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/water/): Fresh water withdrawn for farms, industry and cities; scarce where demand clusters

## Fertilisers

- [Potash](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/potash/): Potassium fertiliser salt mined from buried ancient seas, with few big suppliers
- [Phosphate rock](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/phosphate/): Sedimentary rock mined for fertiliser phosphorus; Morocco holds most reserves
- [Nitrogen (ammonia)](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/): Fertiliser nitrogen made from natural gas; feeds urea and DAP
- [Sulfur](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sulfur/): Yellow by-product of cleaning oil and gas, burned to make sulphuric acid

## Base metals

- [Copper](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/copper/): Conductive metal for wires and motors; demand rides on grids and EVs
- [Aluminium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/aluminum/): Light metal smelted from bauxite with huge power use, for cars, cans and cables
- [Zinc](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zinc/): Base metal mostly used to galvanise steel against rust on cars and roofs
- [Lead](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lead/): Toxic heavy metal now mainly for car batteries, largely recycled from scrap
- [Nickel](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nickel/): Metal that makes stainless steel and dense EV batteries; Indonesian laterites lead
- [Tin](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tin/): Solder metal that joins electronics; a small market moved by a few mines

## Steel & alloying

- [Iron ore](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/iron_ore/): Rock mined for steelmaking, shipped mainly from Australia and Brazil to China
- [Steel](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/steel/): Iron alloyed with carbon; the structural backbone of buildings, machines and transport
- [Manganese](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/): Steel essential added as ferroalloy to remove oxygen and add strength; also in batteries
- [Chromium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/chromium/): Alloy metal that makes stainless steel resist rust, smelted into ferrochrome
- [Molybdenum](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/molybdenum/): High-melting alloy metal for tough steels, often a copper mining by-product
- [Vanadium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vanadium/): Steel strengthener from iron slag, also the electrolyte in vanadium flow batteries
- [Niobium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/niobium/): Microalloy that makes steel stronger and lighter, mined almost entirely in Brazil
- [Tungsten](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/): Very hard metal made into carbide cutting tools and drill bits; China dominant
- [Silicon](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/): Metal smelted from quartz for aluminium alloys, silicones and polysilicon feed

## Precious metals

- [Gold](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gold/): Monetary metal held as jewellery, bars and central bank reserves, rarely consumed
- [Silver](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silver/): Precious metal and best electrical conductor, used in solar cells and electronics
- [Platinum](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/platinum/): Dense catalyst metal for diesel exhausts, chemicals and glass, mined in South Africa
- [Palladium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/palladium/): Platinum group metal that cleans petrol car exhaust, from Russia and South Africa
- [Rhodium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rhodium/): Scarcest traded platinum group metal, removes NOx from exhaust; very spiky price
- [Diamonds](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/diamond/): Natural gems sold on rarity, plus synthetic industrial grit for cutting and drilling

## Battery & magnet

- [Lithium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lithium/): Lightest metal and the charge carrier in rechargeable batteries, from brine or rock
- [Cobalt](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cobalt/): Battery and jet engine metal mined as a copper and nickel by-product in Congo
- [Graphite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/graphite/): Mined or synthetic crystalline carbon for battery anodes and furnace refractories
- [Rare earths](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rare_earths/): Seventeen metals behind magnets in EV motors and wind turbines; China refines most
- [Magnesium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/): Lightest structural metal for die castings and aluminium alloys; China smelts most

## Tech & minor metals

- [Titanium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/titanium/): Ore that mostly becomes white pigment; a light, strong metal for aircraft too
- [Zirconium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zirconium/): Mineral sand by-product used as zircon in tiles and moulds, and in reactors
- [Hafnium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/hafnium/): Zirconium by-product for jet engine superalloys and reactor control rods
- [Tantalum](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tantalum/): Corrosion-proof metal for tiny capacitors in phones, mined largely in central Africa
- [Antimony](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/antimony/): Brittle metalloid for flame retardants, batteries and ammunition; China curbs exports
- [Bismuth](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bismuth/): Dense, low-toxicity metal that replaces lead in solders and stomach remedies
- [Gallium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gallium/): Alumina refining by-product for gallium nitride and arsenide chips; China dominant
- [Germanium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/): Zinc and coal by-product for fibre optics, infrared lenses and space solar cells
- [Indium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/indium/): Soft zinc by-product whose indium tin oxide coats touchscreens and flat displays
- [Tellurium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tellurium/): Copper refining by-product for cadmium telluride thin-film solar panels
- [Selenium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/selenium/): Copper refining by-product used in glass, manganese electrolysis and animal feed
- [Rhenium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rhenium/): Molybdenum by-product that lets jet turbine blades survive extreme heat
- [Beryllium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/beryllium/): Light, stiff, toxic metal whose copper alloys make springs and connectors
- [Cadmium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cadmium/): Toxic zinc by-product for nickel-cadmium batteries, pigments and thin-film solar panels
- [Mercury](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/): Only metal liquid at room temperature, phased out but used in artisanal gold mining
- [Arsenic](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/arsenic/): Toxic smelting by-product for wood preservatives and gallium arsenide chips
- [Scandium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/scandium/): Rare by-product metal that strengthens aluminium alloys and solid oxide fuel cells
- [Yttrium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/yttrium/): Heavy rare earth for zirconia ceramics, phosphors and lasers, processed in China
- [Strontium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/strontium/): Mined as celestite for drilling mud, ferrite magnets and red fireworks
- [Caesium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cesium/): Soft alkali metal for dense drilling brines, catalysts and atomic clocks
- [Rubidium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rubidium/): By-product alkali metal for specialty glass, atomic clocks and quantum research
- [Thallium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/thallium/): Highly toxic smelting by-product for gamma detectors, infrared optics and heart scans
- [Thorium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/thorium/): Mildly radioactive rare earth by-product, promoted as a future nuclear fuel

## Industrial minerals

- [Helium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/helium/): Inert gas from a few gas fields, vital for MRI magnets and chipmaking
- [Boron](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/boron/): Borate salts for heat-resistant glass, fibreglass, fertiliser and magnets; Turkey leads
- [Fluorspar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/): Calcium fluoride mineral, the starting point for nearly all fluorine chemicals
- [Barite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/barite/): Heavy barium mineral ground into drilling mud to control oil and gas wells
- [Salt](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/salt/): Sodium chloride feeding chlor-alkali plants, food and winter road de-icing
- [Soda ash](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/soda_ash/): Sodium carbonate alkali for glass, detergents and lithium carbonate, from trona or salt
- [Iodine](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/iodine/): Trace element from Chilean nitrate and Japanese brines for X-ray contrast and health
- [Bromine](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/): Heavy liquid halogen from brines, used mainly in flame retardants and drilling fluids
- [Silica sand](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/industrial_sand/): High-silica quartz sand for glass, foundry moulds and fracking, priced by freight
- [Feldspar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/feldspar/): Common crustal mineral ground into a flux for glass and ceramic tiles
- [Talc](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/talc/): Softest mineral, ground into filler for plastics, paint and paper; health concerns
- [Kaolin & clays](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/): Fine-grained minerals such as kaolin and bentonite for ceramics, paper, drilling mud
- [Diatomite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/diatomite/): Fossil algae silica powder used to filter beer, wine, water and oils
- [Mica](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mica/): Sheet silicate split into heat-proof insulators or ground for paint and cosmetics
- [Garnet](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/garnet/): Hard, dense natural mineral for abrasive blasting, waterjet cutting and filtration
- [Perlite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/): Volcanic glass that puffs up when heated, for insulation, plaster and potting mix
- [Vermiculite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/vermiculite/): Mica-like mineral expanded by heat for potting mixes, insulation and fireproofing
- [Wollastonite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wollastonite/): Needle-shaped calcium silicate that reinforces ceramics and plastics, replacing asbestos
- [Zeolites](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/zeolites/): Porous volcanic minerals that trap odours, ammonia and toxins in feed and filters
- [Kyanite](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/kyanite/): Aluminium silicate minerals fired into mullite to line steel, glass and cement kilns
- [Asbestos](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/asbestos/): Fibrous fireproof silicate banned in much of the world for lung disease, still mined
- [Abrasives](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/): Furnace-made grits like fused alumina and silicon carbide for grinding and blasting
- [Iron oxide pigments](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/iron_oxide/): Cheap red, yellow and black pigments from rust that colour concrete and bricks

## Construction

- [Cement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cement/): Kiln-made binder that glues concrete together; a major source of industrial CO2
- [Sand & gravel](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sand_gravel/): Loose aggregate dug from rivers and pits for concrete, asphalt and road base
- [Crushed stone](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/crushed_stone/): Quarried rock crushed near cities for roads and concrete, rarely shipped far
- [Gypsum](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/gypsum/): Soft calcium sulphate rock for wallboard and plaster, and to set cement
- [Lime](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lime/): Burnt limestone alkali relied on by steel mills, chemical plants and water works
- [Pumice](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/): Frothy volcanic rock used as lightweight aggregate, pozzolan, abrasive and growing medium
- [Peat](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/peat/): Partly decayed bog plants dug for potting media, now curbed as a carbon store

## Grains

- [Maize](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/maize/): Largest grain crop by tonnage, mostly animal feed and, in the US, ethanol
- [Wheat](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wheat/): Bread grain grown almost everywhere, traded heavily to North Africa and Asia
- [Rice](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rice/): Asia's staple grain, thinly traded, so export bans swing world prices sharply
- [Barley](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/barley/): Hardy cereal for animal feed and brewing malt, shipped to Gulf states and China
- [Sorghum](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sorghum/): Drought-tolerant grain, a staple in the Sahel and India and a US feed export
- [Oats](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/oats/): Cool-climate cereal for porridge, oat milk and animal feed

## Oilseeds & oils

- [Soybeans](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/soybeans/): Oil and protein bean crushed mainly into livestock feed, with China the top importer
- [Palm oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/palm_oil/): Most produced vegetable oil, from tropical plantations mostly in Indonesia and Malaysia
- [Rapeseed](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rapeseed/): Cool-climate oilseed, called canola in Canada, for cooking oil, biodiesel and meal
- [Sunflower](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sunflower/): Black Sea oilseed crushed into cooking oil, grown mainly in Russia and Ukraine
- [Groundnuts](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/groundnuts/): Peanuts grown largely by smallholders, crushed for oil or eaten as nuts
- [Coconut oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/coconut/): Lauric oil pressed from dried kernel for soaps, detergents and food, grown in Asia

## Softs

- [Sugar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/sugar/): Sweetener from cane and beet; Brazilian cane doubles as ethanol feedstock
- [Coffee](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/coffee/): Roasted seeds of a tropical shrub, grown by smallholders and exposed to weather
- [Cocoa](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cocoa/): Beans of a tropical tree, chocolate's raw material, grown mostly in West Africa
- [Tea](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tea/): Processed leaves of an evergreen bush, priced mostly at auctions, not exchanges
- [Oranges & juice](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/orange/): Citrus eaten fresh or juiced, with Brazil dominating the juice trade
- [Tobacco](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tobacco/): Cured leaf grown mainly in China, India and Brazil, sold through leaf merchants
- [Pepper & spices](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/spices/): Black pepper and other dried spices, grown mainly in Vietnam, India and Brazil

## Fibres & forest

- [Cotton](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cotton/): Leading natural textile fibre from a warm-climate shrub, competing with polyester
- [Natural rubber](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/rubber/): Latex tapped from Hevea trees, mainly for tyres; synthetics never fully replaced it
- [Wool](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/wool/): Premium natural fibre shorn from sheep, losing ground to synthetics for decades
- [Jute](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/jute/): Cheap, strong bast fibre from the Bengal delta, spun into sacking and twine
- [Timber](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lumber/): Wood sawn into building timber or pulped for paper and packaging

## Livestock & dairy

- [Beef](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/beef/): Cattle meat with a long herd cycle that ties ranches, feedlots and maize together
- [Pork](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pork/): Pig meat, second by volume, centred on China and exposed to animal disease
- [Poultry](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/poultry/): Chicken meat, the cheapest and fastest-growing major meat, fed on maize and soy
- [Milk & dairy](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/dairy/): Cow's milk and its butter, cheese and powders; processing makes it tradable
- [Eggs](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/eggs/): Hen eggs, the cheapest animal protein, laid near consumers and seldom traded far
- [Fishmeal & shrimp](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/seafood/): Ocean proteins from feed meal to farmed shrimp, tied to Peru's anchovy catch

## Fruit, roots & pulses

- [Potatoes](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/potatoes/): Leading root crop, bulky and perishable, mostly eaten near where it grows
- [Cassava](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cassava/): Hardy tropical root feeding much of Africa and supplying starch, feed and ethanol
- [Bananas](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bananas/): Tropical export fruit grown largely as one clone threatened by a soil fungus
- [Pulses](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pulses/): Dry lentils and chickpeas that fix their own nitrogen; India is the giant consumer
- [Cashew nuts](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/cashew/): Tropical tree nut grown in West Africa and India, shelled mostly in Vietnam
- [Grapes & wine](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/grapes/): Vine fruit eaten fresh, dried as raisins or made into wine