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BOUT BISMUTH
· Bismuth, the ecological clean metal
· World production and bismuth price
Bismuth is a white, crystalline,
brittle metal. It is the most diamagnetic of all metals, and the thermal
conductivity is lower than any metal, except mercury. It has a high electrical
resistance and when placed in a magnetic field, it has the greatest electrical
resistance of any metal. Bismuth melts at low temperature (271.3°C) and one of
its most unusual characteristics is that its volume expands when it solidifies.
More information can be found in the Technical Data Sheet.
Quite interestingly for a heavy
metal, bismuth is scientifically recognized as one of the safest element. It is
also non-carcinogenic. Accordingly, a growing number of industrial applications
depend upon it to alleviate specific toxicity or environmental problems.
For over 150 years Bi compounds have been shooting all sort of stomach aliments
from minor aches to ulcers. Modern medical science has proven it to be the most
effective ingredient in the eradiction of helicobacter pylori, the bacteria
responsible for causing peptic ulcers.
Environmental concerns and lead-in-air laws have made non-toxic bismuth a
useful replacement for lead in a growing number of applications such as
free-lead cutting steel and aluminium alloys, brass, ceramics and crystal
glass, hunting cartdridges, yellow pigments, gold assaying, bowling balls,
lubricants, zinc galvanization etc.
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Technical
Grade (min. 99,99%) · Bi
additions to steel and aluminium alloys · Production
of low melting point alloys ·
Iron casting · Additions
to Sn electroplatings and batteries ·
Free cutting Cu alloys ·
Shooting cartridges ·
Lead-free solders ·
Lead-free crystal glass ·
Ferrites ·
Zinc galvanization |
|
· Bi
oxychloride pearlescent pigments for cosmetics ·
Bi vanadate yellow pigments ·
Catalysts for organic chemestry ·
Pharmaceuticals to combat gastric
disorders · Flame-retardant
and smoke-inhibiting compounds ·
Ceramics ·
Constituent of zinc oxide
varistors · Replacement
of PbO for gold assay |
|
Bismuth is a minor metal that is
quite rare in the earth's crust (same abundance as silver). Although bismuth
output comes exclusively as a by-product from other metals such as lead,
copper, tin or wolfram, production has been sufficient to substain the growing
consumption of the recent years, rising from 4,000 tons in the early 90's to
more than 6,000 tons per year today (Sidech accounting for about 20%). It should
be mentioned that, with the future looking even brighter, primary sources of
bismuth could start (again) production in a relatively short term.
The main references for bismuth price are the Metal Bulletin and Metals Week
quotations. The average of the Metal Bulletin Free Market Price over the last
20 years is US$ 3.35 per lb. In recent years the bismuth price has ranged from
US$ 3.00 to 4.50 per lb. With the exception of 1974, peaks usually didn't
exceed US$ 7.00 per lb. It has however increased substantially the recent
months(see Graph for more
details).
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