In Afghanistan rare metals (lithium, caesium, tantalum and
niobium) occur in three main deposit types: pegmatites,
mineralised springs and playa-lake sediments (Figure 1).
The most potentially significant, easily extractable resources
of rare metals in Afghanistan occur in mineralised springs
and playas, although there is also considerable potential for
exploiting hard-rock pegmatite deposits. Globally, rare metals
are produced from deposits in these three settings, chiefly in
Chile, Argentina, the USA and Turkey. Lithium has many
uses, for example in batteries, in the glass and ceramics industry,
and in high performance alloys for aircraft. Most tantalum is used
to produce capacitors that are used in laptop computers, mobile
phones and digital cameras. Niobium is primarily used in specialist
steels although it also shares some uses with tantalum since it has
almost identical chemical properties