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Special metals.
Special metals include niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), yttrium (Y), scandium (Sc) and rare metallic minerals (REE -
rare earth elements). The deposits of these metals that are of greatest commercial importance are listed in the NGU Ore database.
Niobium:
Used in steel and superalloys for aeroplane and rocket engines.
Tantalum: Condensators in PCs and other electronic products, high-temperature alloys and superalloys.
Yttrium:
Often found together with the rare earth metals. The most common REE minerals are bastnasite, monazite, euxinite and fergusonite. These metals are used for car catalysers, metallurgy, TV and computer
screens, and permanent magnets. Yttrium is found in Fensfeltet.
Scandium: Adds great strength to alloys with aluminium and used for special light sources. Levels up to 150 g/t of scandium
have been measured in Fensfeltet.
Indium: Not mentioned in the NGU databases. Indium is one of the metals that attract most interest among prospecting companies on the markets today.
Samples from Listulli and Sauda have been analysed at the University of Oslo. There may be 1-2% indium at Listulli. Indium is used among other things in flat screens and solar panels.
Rhenium:
Spectroanalyses carried out by NGU in 1979 on samples from Kisgruva showed a peak of an unknown substance. New samples have been sent for analysis to the University of Oslo. There is reason to
believe that this is rhenium, which among other things is used for jet engines and components that must withstand high temperatures. The price is approx. USD 11000 per kg. Approximately 35kg is used in
an aero engine.
Tellurium: Analyses have shown tellurium concentrations of 131 ppm in Kisgruva.
Tellurium and cadmium are used in a new type of solar cells.
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