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BISMUTH ADVOCATE NEWS
Issue No. 1 December 2000
Welcome to the first issue of the website Bismuth Advocate News (BAN). BAN will appear on a frequent but irregular basis and has been designed to quickly update busy executives and their professional staff on bismuth-related developments, usually with a reference to where the item appeared so that more information can be obtained if needed. BAN will almost never have long items, and will usually total under one page in length. The most recent detailed comprehensive reference to the production, sources, markets and end uses of bismuth is the Financial Times Executive Commodity Report on Bismuth written by BAN's editor and publisher, Harold A. Taylor, Jr.
A very significant disruption in world bismuth supply probably totaling 600 tonnes occurred when environmental problems relating to lead occurred at the Penoles smelter at Torreon, Mexico. This forced the closure of two out of the three lead blast furnaces and resulted in bismuth cutbacks from mid1999 until February 2000. Chinese production increases, mostly by Shizhuyuan Nonferrous Metals, almost completely offset the gap (Mining Annual Review 2000 article by Fickling).
Bismuth (metal) prices have usually varied over a narrow range from $3.50 to $4.00 per pound in the last five years. This was true in 1999 and 2000, although bismuth began 1999 at $3.15 before rising and did reach $4.65 in October 1999 for a short period before dropping towards this range.
Latest from the Bismuth Institute is some reporting on use of bismuth in hot dip galvanizing (see also palmieri@skynet.be).
Outlook for bismuth, 2001: Consumption of bismuth in its traditional end uses has expanded fairly rapidly over the last decade, usually exceeding production; the balance has been met from various stockpiles, the most prominent being the U.S. Government's strategic stockpile. Beginning in 1996, some important new markets were opened for bismuth as a replacement for toxic lead. Therefore, consumption of bismuth is most likely to increase in the next several years, probably substantially. The critical factors in meeting demand will be Chinese sales of cheap bismuth metal and the presence or absence of Mexican-type disruptions. At this time, the U.S. economy appears to be weakening. Things will appear to be a little clearer when partial 2000 data is provided by the USGS in one or two months, to be summarized here in a later issue.