Rio Tinto

Offers steelmakers iron ore products for varied processing needs, including high-grade, low-impurity options and lump ore for direct use.

Provides lightweight, recyclable aluminium and helps customers source responsibly produced, lower-carbon and recycled material.

Provides a versatile, recyclable material for electrification, renewable energy technologies and power production.

Supplies boron for crop growth and materials used in high-tech products, renewable energy, wood preservation and insulation.

Supports electric mobility and energy storage with lithium for rechargeable batteries and projects capable of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate.

Provides high-purity scandium oxide recovered from production waste for aluminium alloys that are stronger, lighter, more flexible and resistant.

Offers ethically sourced white and colored gemstones for important occasions, supported by transparency from mine to market.

Supports chemical manufacturing, food processing and road de-icing with seawater-evaporated salt supplied to customers in Asia and the Middle East.

Supplies strong, durable ferrous materials for buildings, vehicles, bridges and manufacturing parts.

Provides a highly white, opaque, ultraviolet-absorbing material for consumer products and renewable energy infrastructure.

Iron ore

Rio Tinto supplies iron ore, the primary raw material used to make steel. Its Pilbara operations include 18 mines, four independent port terminals, a 1,900-kilometre rail network and related infrastructure. Products include Pilbara Blend, Yandicoogina, Robe Valley and SP10 fines and lump, as well as high-grade iron ore pellets and concentrate from Iron Ore Company of Canada. The products serve different steelmaking and processing needs, with options featuring high iron content, low impurities or phosphorus, and direct-use lump ore.

• Support Sintering And Direct Use
  Pilbara Blend fines feed sinter plants, while the lump can be used directly without pre-treatment. The lump’s direct use also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Supply High-Grade Steelmaking Feed
  The high-grade pellets and concentrate, with low impurity levels and consistent, reliable quality, provide steelmakers with key ingredients for the evolving low-carbon steel industry.
• Deliver Consistent Ore When Needed
  Port blending supports product reliability and uniformity. Integrated operations and shipping infrastructure help Rio Tinto supply customers with the required product quality when they need it.
• Produce High-Iron Sinter
  The low-impurity fines can be used to produce high-iron-content sinter for use as a base component in sinter blends in East Asia and southern China.
• Show How Products Are Produced
  The START label gives customers visibility into the production of IOC iron ore pellets and concentrate, supporting greater transparency about the products’ origin and production.
• Adapt Product Range To Demand
  Using market signals and real-time data, Rio Tinto can adjust its product range in response to demand and anticipate market conditions.
• Explore Lower-Emission Steelmaking
  Research partnerships explore ways to use Pilbara iron ores in lower-emissions steelmaking, including green hydrogen in a direct reduced iron process.
• Serve Specialised Steel Applications
  The lower iron and low phosphorus characteristics suit steel producers serving specialised applications.
• Lower Customer Operating Costs
  SP10 offers lower-grade fines and lump from the same ore bodies as Pilbara Blend, with lower operating costs for customers.

Aluminium

Rio Tinto produces aluminium used in applications ranging from jet engines and electric vehicles to mobile phones. Its vertically integrated operations include bauxite mines, alumina refineries and aluminium smelters. The company supplies responsibly produced and lower-carbon aluminium, including products made using renewable hydroelectricity, and offers fully recycled aluminium through its Matalco joint venture. Rio Tinto is also developing ELYSIS inert anode technology to eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from aluminium smelting.

• Supply Aluminium Across Production Stages
  The company's vertically integrated operations span bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting.
• Choose Aluminium Made With Renewable Hydropower
  Some Rio Tinto aluminium operations use renewable hydroelectricity. The New Zealand Aluminium Smelter uses renewable hydropower and is described as having emissions among the world's lowest.
• Advance Smelting Without Direct Greenhouse Emissions
  ELYSIS is developing and scaling inert anode technology intended to eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from aluminium smelting, with oxygen emitted as a by-product.
• Enable Lightweight Product Design
  Aluminium's lightweight quality supports its use in a broad range of products, including electric vehicles, cars, jet engines and mobile phones.
• Support Repeated Material Recycling
  Aluminium can be recycled repeatedly, supporting material reuse. Rio Tinto also supplies fully recycled aluminium products through its Matalco joint venture.
• Trace Aluminium Production And ESG Metrics
  The START label gives customers visibility into aluminium production across Rio Tinto's global sites through traceable data covering up to 14 environmental, social and governance metrics. The company also works with the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative to build assurance.
• Source Fully Recycled Aluminium Products
  The Matalco joint venture enables Rio Tinto to offer fully recycled aluminium products and combines primary and secondary aluminium production capabilities in North America.

Copper

Rio Tinto supplies copper used in renewable energy technologies, electrification and power production. Copper is strong yet malleable, corrosion-resistant, recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Rio Tinto’s copper portfolio includes production from Kennecott in the United States and Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia. The company also provides traceability information for copper cathode produced at Kennecott through its START label.

• Support Electrification And Power Production
  Copper’s excellent electrical conductivity makes it a key material for electrification and power production.
• Enable Renewable Energy Technologies
  Copper is used in renewable energy technologies, including wind turbines, and supports the transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Trace Copper Production
  The START label gives customers greater visibility into how Kennecott copper cathode is sourced and produced, with traceable data across environmental, social and governance metrics.
• Recycle Copper
  Copper’s recyclability allows it to be recycled as part of material use and recovery.
• Resist Corrosion
  Copper’s corrosion resistance is one of the qualities that supports its use across a range of applications.
• Transfer Heat Efficiently
  Copper’s excellent heat conductivity supports applications that rely on effective heat transfer.
• Shape Copper For Diverse Uses
  Copper combines strength with malleability, enabling it to be shaped for a range of uses.

Borates

Borates are crystallised salts containing boron. Rio Tinto mines, refines and processes borates at its Boron operation in California’s Mojave Desert, where deposits include two of the world’s largest borate veins. Boron is essential for plant growth and is used in fertilisers, heat-resistant glass, renewable energy materials, wood preservatives and glass-wool insulation.

• Supply Refined Boron Globally
  The Boron operation in California supplies about 30% of global demand for refined boron from two of the world’s largest borate veins.
• Support Crop Growth
  Borates provide boron used in fertilisers, where boron is essential for plant growth.
• Support Renewable Energy Materials
  Borates are used in materials for wind and solar power and in electric vehicle batteries.
• Supply Heat-Resistant Glass
  Borates are used to make heat-resistant glass for high-tech applications such as smartphone screens.
• Preserve Wood
  Borates are used in wood-preservation products.
• Support Insulation
  Borates are used in glass wool, a material used for insulation.

Lithium

Rio Tinto develops lithium resources for batteries and other energy-transition applications. Its Rincon project in Argentina is a large, undeveloped lithium-brine resource capable of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate. The Jadar project in Serbia contains the lithium-bearing mineral jadarite and has the potential to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate. Rio Tinto has described a goal of reaching 200 kt of lithium carbonate equivalent capacity by 2028 through its in-flight projects.

• Develop Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate
  Rincon is capable of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate from raw brine, a product suitable for battery-material supply chains.
• Support Electric Mobility
  Lithium is used in batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles, applications that support the transition to lower-carbon transport.
• Expand Lithium Portfolio Capacity
  The enlarged resource base and stated capacity goal reflect Rio Tinto's plans to grow its lithium business and develop supply for energy-transition materials.
• Enable Energy Storage
  Lithium supports large-scale batteries and energy storage, which are among the low-carbon technologies identified as important to the energy transition.
• Develop A Scalable Resource
  Rincon's stated long-life, scalable resource profile supports the development of lithium production over an extended period and at scale.
• Advance Lower-Carbon Production
  Rincon's potential for a low carbon footprint could support lithium production aligned with Rio Tinto's decarbonisation commitment.
• Develop A Lithium Resource
  Jadar adds a lithium resource to Rio Tinto's project portfolio, with potential for continued battery-grade lithium carbonate production.
• Power Rechargeable Devices
  Lithium is used in rechargeable power sources for everyday electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones.

Scandium

Rio Tinto produces high-purity scandium oxide at its Sorel-Tracy operations in Quebec, using a process developed to recover scandium from titanium dioxide production waste without additional mining. In May 2022, a commercial-scale demonstration plant produced its first batch of high-purity scandium oxide. Scandium can be used as an aluminium microalloying element to strengthen aluminium while improving flexibility, heat resistance and corrosion resistance, and reducing weight.

• Recover High-Purity Scandium Without Additional Mining
  The process recovers scandium oxide from an existing production waste stream, allowing high-purity material to be produced without additional mining.
• Strengthen Aluminium Alloys
  Used as a microalloying element, scandium can strengthen aluminium.
• Access North American Scandium Production
  Rio Tinto's commercial-scale demonstration plant in Canada produced its first batch of high-purity scandium oxide in May 2022, establishing North American production.
• Reduce Aluminium Alloy Weight
  Scandium microalloying can reduce aluminium alloy weight.
• Improve Alloy Flexibility
  Adding scandium to aluminium can improve alloy flexibility.
• Improve Heat Resistance
  Adding scandium to aluminium can improve the alloy's resistance to heat.
• Improve Corrosion Resistance
  Adding scandium to aluminium can improve the alloy's resistance to corrosion.

Diamonds

Rio Tinto supplies white and colored diamonds, described as popular gemstones associated with life’s most important moments and celebrations of major achievements. The company says its diamonds are ethically sourced and works with industry partners to support a fair and transparent journey from mine to market.

• Choose Diamonds With Greater Confidence
  Rio Tinto’s stated commitment to ethical sourcing and transparency throughout the mine-to-market journey helps customers understand the sourcing pathway behind its diamonds.
• Explore White And Colored Diamonds
  Customers can consider both white and colored diamonds from Rio Tinto, which the company describes as popular gemstones.
• Choose Diamonds From Wind-Powered Mining
  A wind power station was built to supply energy to Rio Tinto’s diamond mine, connecting the product with the company’s use of wind power at that operation.

Salt

Rio Tinto produces salt primarily for chemical industry applications, including the manufacture of glass, paper, plastics, textiles, soap and detergents. It is also used in food processing and road de-icing. Salt is produced by seawater evaporation at the Dampier and Port Hedland sites in Australia. Dampier is described as the world’s largest exporter of salt produced by seawater evaporation, exporting millions of tonnes each year, mostly to customers in Asia and the Middle East. Rio Tinto’s START salt label provides transparent, traceable metrics related to responsible production.

• Supply Millions Of Tonnes Globally
  Dampier exports millions of tonnes of salt annually, primarily to customers in Asia and the Middle East.
• Produce Salt From Seawater
  Seawater evaporation is the production method used for Rio Tinto salt at Dampier and Port Hedland.
• Provide Traceable Production Data
  The START salt label gives customers transparent, traceable information on metrics related to responsible salt production at Dampier and Port Hedland.
• Support Glass Production
  Provides salt used in glass manufacturing.
• Support Paper Production
  Provides salt used in paper manufacturing.
• Support Plastic Production
  Provides salt used in plastics manufacturing.
• Support Soap And Detergent Production
  Provides salt used to manufacture soap and detergents.
• Support Food Processing
  Provides salt for food processing applications.
• Support Textile Production
  Provides salt used in textile manufacturing.
• Help Prevent Road Icing
  Provides salt for road de-icing.

Ferrous metallics

Ferrous metallics are metals that contain iron. Their strength and durability make them suitable for everyday products and infrastructure, including skyscrapers, cars, bridges, transport containers and small manufacturing parts subject to heavy wear. Rio Tinto supplies metal powders, steel billets and high-purity pig iron to global markets, supported by a stable supply of high-purity ilmenite ore. Its High Purity Pig Iron (HPPI), known in the market as Sorelmetal™, is produced at operations in Canada and South Africa and is recognized for its purity and consistency. The START label provides information on how HPPI is responsibly produced.

• Choose From Multiple Product Forms
  Customers can access a range of ferrous products, including metal powders, steel billets and high-purity pig iron, supplied to global markets.
• Support Strong Everyday Applications
  The strength of ferrous metallics makes them suitable for a wide range of everyday products and structures, including skyscrapers and cars.
• Withstand Demanding Uses
  Their durability supports use in bridges, transport containers and small manufacturing parts subject to heavy wear.
• Support Ferrous Product Supply
  A stable supply of high-purity ilmenite ore supports Rio Tinto's production of metal powders, steel billets and high-purity pig iron.
• Verify Responsible HPPI Production
  The START label provides customers with information about how high-purity pig iron is produced. Rio Tinto describes this product, known as Sorelmetal™, as high-purity and consistent.

Titanium dioxide

Rio Tinto produces high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock, including at its Quebec operations. Titanium dioxide is a very white, opaque compound that absorbs ultraviolet light and reflects 96% of light. It is used in products such as toothpaste, sunscreen and cosmetics, as well as in high-efficiency solar panels, underwater heating pipes and renewable energy infrastructure. Rio Tinto is developing BlueSmelting technology to reduce emissions from ilmenite processing and produce high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock.

• Supply High-Grade Feedstock
  Rio Tinto produces high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock at its Quebec operations, including its Sorel-Tracy metallurgical complex.
• Provide White, Opaque Material
  Its very white, opaque character makes titanium dioxide suitable for use in a range of consumer products.
• Absorb Ultraviolet Light
  The material's stated ultraviolet absorption supports its use in products such as sunscreen and cosmetics.
• Support Everyday Consumer Products
  Titanium dioxide is used in a variety of consumer products, including toothpaste, sunscreen and cosmetics. The feedstock also serves applications in paints, textiles and paper bleaching.
• Reduce Process Emissions By Up To 95%
  BlueSmelting is a demonstration-stage technology for ilmenite processing. It could reduce emissions by up to 95% compared with the existing reduction process; commercial deployment could reduce emissions at the Quebec operations by 70%.
• Reflect 96% Of Light
  The stated light-reflection property is one of the material characteristics highlighted by Rio Tinto.
• Serve Renewable Energy Infrastructure
  The material is used in high-efficiency solar panels, underwater heating pipes and renewable energy infrastructure.