Relevant disruptions in critical mineral supply chain sustainability: A systematic literature review

Critical mineral supply chains are central to the energy transition but are increasingly exposed to disruptions that affect their economic, environmental, and social performance. Existing research has quantified the sustainability outcome, examined tier-specific research, and identified the wide range of disruption risks. However, these concepts remain fragmented and rarely integrate into a single analytical framework. Furthermore, few studies systematically prioritise the disruptions' relevance based on their tier's prevalence and the strength of their sustainability evidence within the supply chain. This paper addresses this gap through a systematic literature review of 103 Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed articles on critical mineral supply chain disruption and sustainability. The review descriptively classifies the literature by mineral type, geographical focus, research method, disruption category, supply chain tier, and sustainability dimension, using a full-text-coded article. It then develops a two-parameter, structured content analysis to assess which disruptions are most relevant in the literature, based on tier-based prevalence and sustainability-impact evidence. The finding indicates that price volatility and supply-demand imbalance are among the most prominent disruptions affecting supply chain sustainability performance, while logistics and transportation-related have received comparatively limited attention. The finding also reveals further research avenue to address county- and mineral-specific studies, a dynamic approach that integrates social performance and robust disruption assessment.