November/December 1999
Bismuth-lead and bismuth-tin alloys were used during the Middle Ages. Basil Valentine, a German monk, reportedly first described the metal in 1450. Around 1597, the efficacy of bismuth nitrate in the treatment of digestive disorders was discovered. For years, however, bismuth was confused with antimony, tin, lead, and zinc. It wasn’t until 1753 that bismuth was identified as a distinct element.
Production Details. Bismuth has the highest atomic weight and number of all stable elements, and it’s the most diamagnetic metal. It’s usually found as a byproduct of the processing of other ores, including lead, copper, tin, silver, and gold. There’s no longer any domestic production of primary bismuth, making the United States dependent on foreign suppliers. The largest producers of refined bismuth are Mexico, Peru, Belgium, and China.
Applications. Bismuth’s low toxicity permits its use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, especially for the treatment of gastric ulcers, enteritis, and diarrhea. (For example, bismuth subsalicylate is the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol.) The metal is also used commercially as a component in fusible alloys (those with a low melting point), especially as a nontoxic substitute for lead. Products include fishing sinkers, shot for waterfowl, and solders as well as brass plumbing fixtures, pigments, and crystal. In addition, bismuth is used as a carbon stabilizer in the manufacture of malleable iron, an additive to low-carbon steel and aluminum to improve machinability, and a nuclear reactant coolant. Since bismuth expands slightly upon hardening, it’s valuable in making sharply detailed castings, accurate dies, and metal type. Bismuth compounds are also used for catalysts and semiconductor applications.
Recycling Facts. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (Reston, Va.), small amounts of bismuth are recovered from fusible alloy scrap, with such recycling accounting for only about 5 percent of the total U.S. supply.
Pricing Particulars. There’s no domestic producer price reference or international terminal market prices for bismuth. Prices are published in trade journals and referred to as dealer prices based on material from the two largest suppliers in the Western World—Mexico and Peru. China is also an important supplier to the spot market. Dealer quotes in 1999 have risen owing more to tight supply issues than increased consumption. Fourth-quarter prices have ranged from $4.30 to $4.70 a pound compared with $2.90 to $3.40 in January.
—Robert J. Garino, ReMA director of commodities.
Bismuth-lead and bismuth-tin alloys were used during the Middle Ages. Basil Valentine, a German monk, reportedly first described the metal in 1450. Around 1597, the efficacy of bismuth nitrate in the treatment of digestive disorders was discovered. For years, however, bismuth was confused with antimony, tin, lead, and zinc. It wasn’t until 1753 that bismuth was identified as a distinct element.