Real-Life Kryptonite: The Mineral That Could Power the Future

Scientists have found a real-life kryptonite¹. We all know of the Kryptonite from Superman, a fictional substance formed from the irradiated fragments of Krypton, his destroyed home planet. This glowing, green mineral is radioactive and poisonous, with devastating effects on Superman and other Kryptonians upon exposure.

While even a small fragment of Kryptonite can weaken Superman and his powers, the same mineral can make an ordinary human super-strong and healthy. 

The real-life Kryptonite found by scientists in Serbia comes with different powers. It could fuel our energy transition and power our future.

The newly identified material, called Jadarite, shares similarities with Superman’s Kryptonite in both name and composition. While it lacks the iconic glowing green hue, appearing instead as a dull white that becomes pinkish-orange under UV light, it’s made of sodium, lithium, boron, silicate, and hydroxide. Its chemical formula is LiNaSiB₃O₇(OH). 

Interestingly, this is identical to the formula invented for the fictional Kryptonite, minus fluoride, seen on the case stolen by Lex Luthor in the 2006 film Superman Returns. So, while their appearance may not be similar, they do share their chemical DNA.

This hard, chalky mineral is made of tiny crystals with a diameter of less than 5 microns (µm, equal to one millionth of a meter). 

Jadarite does not possess any supernatural powers either, but being rich in lithium and boron means it could play a big role in sustainable energy by allowing the global transition away from fossil fuels and towards green energy.

The Discovery that Excited Everyone

The discovery of Kryptonite’s twin on Earth isn’t a recent one. It was first discovered over a decade ago in the Jadar Valley of Serbia and was officially recognized as a new mineral in 2006.

Back in December 2004, Jadarite was discovered in drill core by geologists from Rio Tinto Exploration. Rio Tinto Group is a British-Australian multinational company that was founded in 1873, and it is the world’s second-largest metals and mining corporation.

Geologists discovered Jadarite as small, rounded nodules in a drill core. Unable to match it with any known mineral at the time, scientists at the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council of Canada conducted extensive tests and confirmed it as a new mineral.

According to Rio Tinto (RIO ), the Jadar area holds one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, with mineral resource estimates confirming the ore’s quality.

Back in 2017, the company signed a memorandum with the Government of Serbia to begin the “Project Jadar”, starting with studies, permit issuance, and mining. But a few years later, the project created a debate between the public and academia. Environmentalists and the local population voiced their concerns against the project, citing excessive water and chemical usage.

After ecological organizations ran mass protests, the then Serbian prime minister Ana Brnabić cancelled the project in early 2022. Two years later, the government announced the decision to unblock the project while protests continued across Serbia against lithium mining.

According to Rio Tinto’s website, the company continues to engage the community and other stakeholders on the Jadar Project, which it states will be subject to strict environmental regulations in line with Serbian and European Union (EU) standards.

“We believe the Jadar Project has the potential to be a world-class lithium-borates asset,” stated the company, adding that it “can act as a catalyst for the development of a wider EV value chain, creating thousands of new high-paid, high-skilled Serbian jobs for generations to come.“

In June this year, the European Commission declared the Jadar project one of its 13 strategic projects for critical raw materials outside of the EU. The project got the strategic status just for extraction, though, while Rio Tinto has said that it would also build a processing plant.

Lithium mining is of special interest to the EU, due to its strategy to accomplish a sustainable future, which greatly depends on this raw material, which is one of the 34 crucial ones recognised by the Critical Raw Materials Act. 

Besides helping with the EU’s green transition, projects like these can also help minimize its dependency on China and achieve resource sovereignty.

So, while the discovery of Jadarite started as an unexpected geological anomaly, it now has global consequences. The dull mineral holds the utility to power a greener world in its ore.

This “Kryptonite” Could Power the World

While it lacks supernatural powers, the mineral is ‘super’ in its own right, according to Michael Page, a scientist with Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

“While lacking any supernatural powers, the real jadarite has great potential as an important source of lithium and boron.”

– Page

Jadarite actually has a very high lithium content and can produce so much lithium that it could power millions of electric vehicles (EVs).

Page added:

“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.”

ANTSO is one of the supporting agencies of the Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub, alongside CSIRO and Geoscience Australia. It is hosted by Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), which works on solving the greatest challenges through science and technology and engages with industry, government, and the research community.

With one of the Hub’s key missions being enabling access and utilization of critical minerals to strengthen the value chain domestically and across the globe, a substantial amount of ANSTO’s focus is on how critical minerals like Jadarite, lithium, and boron can be utilized to support the nation.

In the past, the organization has worked with different mineral deposits like lepidolite, spodumene, and even Jadarite to produce battery-grade lithium chemicals. That way, ANSTO ensures that local miners have all the support that they need to overcome the challenges in achieving energy transition.

“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.”

– Page

The Lithium Boom and Jadarite’s Role

The rare and fascinating mineral jadarite contains lithium and boron, two rare elements that are critical to many industries.

Originally, it was estimated that there are 200 million tons of lithium borate ore, effectively making the future Jadar mines one of the world’s largest lithium deposits, capable of supplying 10% of the world’s demand for lithium.

The United States Geological Survey later concluded the lithium supply to be much less, at about 1.5% of the world’s demand for lithium, though still substantial.

This is of great significance as lithium (Li) is one of the key elements of the future. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal and is highly reactive and flammable. The lightest solid element is most extensively used for lithium batteries, making it crucial for the development of renewable energy sources, electromobility, and green industry.

As lithium becomes a key part of a wide range of industries, especially batteries and, in turn, electric vehicles (EVs), consumer electronics, and energy storage systems, the demand for the element has been growing rapidly.

The battery alone accounts for a vast majority of lithium consumption. This was standing at 87% in 2024, more than doubling in just eight years, and projected to grow even more, to about 94% 2030.

The explosive growth of the EV market primarily drives this increase. The lightweight design, high energy density, and long cycle life of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have made them the standard in this market.

Against this backdrop, demand for the element is rising fast, and while production is also increasing, it is not fast enough to match the demand.

On top of that, the geographical supply of this element is highly skewed, with 90% of the world’s lithium production concentrated in just four countries, viz. Australia, Chile, China, and Argentina. 

It is actually not found on its own but rather in combination with other minerals. When it comes to lithium sources, about 66% of its production comes from ore mining, and the rest comes from brine extraction.

Interestingly, while lithium is meant to play a key role in EVs and renewable energy, its extraction negatively impacts the environment. This includes water depletion, water and soil contamination, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and more.

However, researchers are always working to find better ways to extract lithium. A recent study from Rice University actually created a breakthrough² method for the same, under which solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) have been repurposed as membranes.

Originally designed for the rapid conduction of Li-ions in SSBs, the researchers found the ordered and confirmed structure of SSEs to allow for unprecedented separation of both ions and water in aqueous mixtures. By showcasing near-perfect lithium selectivity, this study can reduce reliance on time-consuming and environmentally damaging traditional mining and extraction techniques.

As its co-author, Menachem Elimelech, the Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said:

“The challenge is not just about increasing lithium production but about doing so in a way that is both sustainable and economically viable.”

With lithium prices rising along with the demand, there is now a growing interest in the Jadar deposit in Serbia.

Besides being exploited for the production of lithium carbonate, Jadarite can also be used to obtain borate. This compound is used in alloys, ceramics, glasses, fertilizers, solar panels, wind turbines, and other applications.

So, it’s pretty clear that the new mineral is extremely important, which makes it critical that we understand why it is so rare, which means decoding the formation of Jadarite itself.

The Science Behind the Super Mineral

Jadarite holds great potential in fueling not just Australia or Europe but the energy transition of the entire world. It is, after all, a lithium-rich mineral. But the path to that isn’t so easy, as forming Jadarite is pretty specific.

New research, however, has tried to do just that by revealing the precise conditions that are required to form this nodular mineral. And with that, it is offering an energy-efficient and less harmful way for extraction. 

Conducted by a team of researchers from the Natural History Museum, London, the latest study³, titled “Jadarite’s unique recipe,” published in Nature Geoscience, has found out just why this unique mineral is so rare. Why is it found only in this one location on our entire planet? Or if there are other deposits as well?

Well, the findings of the study show that, in order for Jadarite to form, it must follow a series of geological steps, exactly and in very specific conditions.

“Similar to baking a cake, everything needs to be measured and exact for this rare mineral to form,” said the paper’s co-author, Dr. Francesco Putzolu, the museum scientist who, along with his colleagues, is focused on the Resourcing the Green Economy theme.

With this research theme, the scientists aim to accelerate the integration of Earth and life sciences to responsibly secure natural resources for a nature-positive, sustainable future.

The specific conditions for Jadarite to form involve a precise interplay between alkaline-rich terminal lakes, lithium-rich volcanic glass, and clay minerals transforming into crystalline structures. Such chemical changes are exceptionally rare.

As Putzolu explained:

“If the mineral ingredients are not just right, if the conditions are too acidic or too cold, Jadarite will not form. The criteria seem to be so precise that we’ve not yet seen it replicated anywhere else on Earth!”

By taking a deep dive into just how Jadarite is formed, the researchers hope to discover other deposits as well.

“This process brings us closer to identifying other possible deposits by unravelling the formation conditions in the lab.”

– Co-author Dr. Robin Armstrong, who’s a geologist at the Museum

That is extremely important in the current environment, and according to Dr. Armstrong:

“As the demand for lithium continues in the race toward renewable energy, if mined, jadarite can offer huge potential.”

Investing in Lithium

While there is no US-listed play on Jadarite, there are several options to get lithium exposure. Among lithium companies that are listed on the US stock exchange, Ioneer Ltd (IONR ) offers an interesting choice.

The Australia-based lithium-boron producer is developing lithium and boric acid that can be produced and delivered to customers domestically and internationally. 

Its Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron deposit is located in Nevada and covers two separate lithium-boron deposits, which include North Basin and South Basin. This project provides Ioneer with dual revenue streams, with lithium accounting for 75% while boron accounts for the rest.

Ioneer Ltd (IONR )

When it comes to the market performance of IONR stocks, the $193 million market cap company’s shares, as of writing, are trading at $2.94, down 26.44% YTD. 

This year, the company has begun the process to find an equity partner to accelerate the development and production of its Rhyolite Ridge project. For assistance, it is working with Goldman Sachs. This move comes after having completed several milestones.

The company has secured nearly a $1 billion loan from the US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office. Another $16 million has also been successfully raised via a Placement to progress the project.

Ioneer also announced an ore reserve upgrade, which revealed a 308% increase in its ore reserves to 246.6 Mt at 1,464 ppm Li and 5,444 ppm boron, containing 1.92 Mt of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) and 7.68 Mt of Boric Acid Equivalent (BAE). These claims essentially make Rhyolite Ridge the world’s largest known lithium-boron deposit.

By leaning into boric acid for revenue, Ioneer can actually comfortably sit in the lowest cost quartile for global Li production, which can help it successfully address the pressure of lithium prices.

According to its refined cost estimates, Ioneer expects to spend $1.67 billion, including a 10% contingency, to bring the project online. 

Other factors working in Rhyolite Ridge’s favor are its low water requirement, along with recycling of contact water, lower emissions due to running on a closed-loop steam system, and an overall smaller footprint due to no evaporation ponds and tailings dam.

“No other lithium project offers this level of flexibility and economic advantage. In periods of low cycle lithium pricing, like today, we plan to prioritize the high-boron ore production to optimize the relative proportion of total revenue derived from boric acid,” said Bernard Rowe, Ioneer’s Managing Director.

Click here to learn all about investing in Lithium.

Latest Ioneer (IONR) Stock News and Developments

Conclusion

Jadarite may not glow green or be radioactive, but it certainly provides the pathway to a cleaner and more sustainable future. But of course, exploiting this magical mineral requires careful consideration of its impact on the local community as well as the environment. Only by mining it wisely can we truly harness this Earth’s kryptonite twin and use it to improve humanity!

Click here to learn why recycling Lithium is as important as mining it.

References:

1. CSIRO. “The real‑life Kryptonite found in Serbia—and why it could power the future.” ScienceDaily, 28 July 2025. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250727235859.htm
2. Rice University. “Rice researchers develop efficient lithium extraction method, setting stage for sustainable EV battery supply chains.” Rice News, 28 Feb 2025. Rice University. https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/rice-researchers-develop-efficient-lithium-extraction-method-setting-stage-sustainable-ev
3. Putzolu, F.; Armstrong, R.N.; Herrington, R.J. Jadarite’s unique recipe. Nature Geoscience, 18, 454 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01705-4