Table of Contents
Aluminum 4
Properties of Aluminum 4
Uses of Aluminum 5
Global Consumption 6
The Production Process 7
Stage 1: Refining 7
Stage 2: Smelting 8
Components of Production Costs 9
Recycling Process 10
Global Supply 11
Alumina 11
Primary Aluminum 13
Copper 14
Properties of Copper 14
Uses of Copper 15
Global Consumption 16
Differences in Copper Demand among Regions, 2008 16
Copper Consumption by Region 16
Primary Production Process 17
Mining Methods 17
Processing 17
Copper Production by the Pyrometallurgical Route (Smelting and Refining) 17
Copper Production by the Hydrometallurgical Route
(Leaching and Electrowinning, or SX/EW) 18
Production Costs 19
Global Supply 19
Major Copper Producers 19
Major Producing Regions 21
Breakdown of Global Supply 22
Global Trade in Copper 23
Nickel 24
Properties and Uses 24
Primary Production Process 25
Global Mine Supply 26
End Markets and Major Consuming Regions 29
Zinc 31
Properties and Uses of Zinc 31
Primary Production Process 32
Global Mine Supply 33
End Markets and Major Consuming Regions 35
Zinc Demand and Industrial Production 36
Global Trade in Zinc 37
Gold 38
Properties of Gold 38
Uses of Gold 39
Types of Products 39
Substitutability 40
Primary Production Process 40
Processing 40
Sulfide Ore Processing 41
Global Mine Supply 45
Mine Production 45
Central Bank Holdings 47

Recycled Gold (Scrap) 48
Molybdenum 49
Properties of Molybdenum 49
Primary Production Process 49
Types and Uses of Molybdenum 49
Global Mine Supply 50
Global Demand 51
Coal 53
Types of Coal 53
Primary Production Process (Thermal and Metallurgical Coal) 54
Surface Mining 54
Underground Mining 55
The U.S. Coal Market 56
Market Share Among Fuel Sources 56
U.S. Regional Coal Supply Patterns 57
Powder River Basin 58
Central Appalachia 59
Northern Appalachia 59
Metallurgical Coal 60
Properties and Uses 60
Global Metallurgical Coal Supply 61
Shiploading and Blending 61
Demand Drivers—Background 62
Metallurgical Coal Demand 62
Coking Coal 62
Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI) Coal 62
Implications of Coal to the Cost of Steel Making 64
Steel 65
What Is Steel? 65
Properties and Applications 65
Primary Production Process 66
Five Steps to Making Steel 66
Two Production Processes 66
Types of Steel Products 67
Flat Rolled 67
Hot Rolled Coil (HRC) 67
Cold Rolled Coil (CRC) 68
Coated Steel 68
Plate 68
Flat Rolled Pipe and Tube Products 68
Long Rolled Products 69
Rebar 69
Merchant Bar (MBQ) 69
Special Bar Quality (SBQ) 69
Long-Rolled Pipe and Tube 70
Stainless Steel 70
Electrical Steel 70
Sources of Supply 71
Uranium 72
Uses 72
Nuclear Electricity Generation 73
Primary Production Process 75
Global Mine Supply and Major Producers 77
New Global Mine Development 78
Major End Markets 78