Jadarite: The Real-life Kryptonite with Super Potential

Jadarite has been likened to Superman's 'kryptonite' based on their similar chemical compositions. It was discovered in the Jadar Valley of Serbia and officially recognised as a new mineral in 2006. Whilst lacking any actual superpowers, jadarite has great potential as an important resource of lithium and boron.

Described as 'Earth's kryptonite twin', jadarite is a rare and fascinating mineral that quickly caught the attention of scientists and Superman fans alike. The mineral was discovered by exploration geologists from Rio Tinto in 2004 in the Jadar Valley of Serbia. Its chemical composition is exactly like the fictional kryptonite right out of the comic books – with a few differences. Where kryptonite glows green and weakens superheroes, jadarite offers immense potential for Earth's energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Jadarite was identified by Rio Tinto geologists during exploration drilling and didn't match any known mineral at the time. After analysis by the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council of Canada, it was officially recognised as a new mineral in 2006. Jadarite is a 'sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide' mineral, coincidentally the same scientific name written on a case containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film Superman Returns.

Michael Page, a scientist with Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), said that the mineral is 'super' in its own right. 'While lacking any supernatural powers the real jadarite has great potential as an important source of lithium and boron,' Michael said. 'In fact, the Jadar deposit where it was first discovered is considered one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, making it a potential game-changer for the global green energy transition.'

ANSTO is one of the three supporting agencies of the Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub, hosted by CSIRO. One of the Hub's key missions is to better connect Australia's R&D ecosystem, including Australian industry, to enable access and utilisation of critical minerals to strengthen Australia's value chain domestically and across the globe. The work that ANSTO does has a significant focus on how these critical minerals, such as jadarite, can be utilised to support Australian industry in a commercial capacity.

'At ANSTO, we work with industry to develop process solutions for many critical elements including lithium, and the challenges posed by a new type of mineral resource are very exciting,' Michael said. ANSTO has produced battery grade lithium chemicals from many different mineral deposits, such as spodumene, lepidolite and even jadarite, ensuring that Australian miners receive the support they need to meet the challenges of the energy transition.