Why I think fluorspar deserves more attention as an AI and critical minerals investment theme

I’ve been spending some time researching companies involved in the U.S. critical minerals supply chain, and one area I think gets overlooked is **fluorspar**.

Most discussions focus on lithium, copper or rare earths, but fluorspar is the primary commercial source of fluorine, which is used in several industries that are expected to see strong long-term demand.

Some examples include:

Semiconductor manufacturing
Uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel
Lithium-ion battery production
Industrial chemical manufacturing

The U.S. remains heavily dependent on imported fluorspar, which raises questions about supply chain security as domestic manufacturing and AI infrastructure continue to expand.

One company I came across is **CleanTech Vanadium (CTV.V / CTVFF)**. They’re advancing a project in the historic Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District, an area that has produced fluorspar in the past.

I’m not saying it’s guaranteed to succeed, but I think it’s an interesting way to gain exposure to a part of the critical minerals market that doesn’t seem to receive much attention.