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Ah-Hyung Alissa Park is a chemical engineer whose research concerns carbon capture and storage, together with carbon dioxide utilization and the development of materials and processes for more sustainable energy systems. Her UCLA profile describes nanohybrid materials for carbon dioxide capture and conversion, together with work on chemistry of carbonates, recovery of critical minerals and rare-earth elements.^[ref]

The scientific connection is between material structure and a chemical process: the way a material binds or reacts with carbon dioxide determines how it can be separated, transformed or stored. Evaluating such a process also requires tracking material flows and energy use through the larger system. This links surface chemistry, chemical reaction engineering and the assessment of alternative process designs rather than treating capture alone as the complete objective.^[ref]

A critical mineral is a mineral commodity whose importance to specified uses combines with vulnerability in its supply. Criticality depends on the assessment's region, time and criteria. The United States Geological Survey explains it through essential functions and potential supply disruption, while noting that assessments change as technology and supply conditions change.^[ref]

From an engineering viewpoint, substitution requires more than matching one headline property. A replacement for a contact material must also meet requirements for electrical conductivity, corrosion, processing and service life. Recycling and alternative designs can alter demand, while concentrated production or processing can affect supply risk. Criticality consequently links material performance with the resilience of the system using it.