Letter to the editor: Bismuth’s not so bad

An article in The Northern Miner (“Tin and silver: The new electric metals,” April 30–May 6/12) discussed the European Union’s ban on the use of lead in products sold in Europe and the resulting use of tin, silver and bismuth in solder for electronics to reduce the harmful effects of electronic waste.

We see the potential use in electronic solders as one of many factors contributing to the growth in bismuth demand, however,  the article included incorrect statements on bismuth, in particular saying that annual bismuth production was “1,500 tonnes per year” and that “bismuth was only marginally less toxic than arsenic.”

The bismuth market is between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes annually, and demand for bismuth has been steadily rising as a non-toxic and environmentally safe lead substitute.

Bismuth is a soft, brittle metal with a high density and low melting point. It is scientifically recognized as one of the safest elements for human consumption. Its safety is evidenced by its use in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products — in fact, bismuth subsalicylate is the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol.

With physical properties similar to lead, it is increasingly sought after as a non-toxic replacement for lead in solders used in electronics, paint pigments, free-machining steel, galvanizing alloys, ceramic glazes, radiation shielding, ammunition, greases and plumbing solders. Many of these new applications are a result of tightening environmental regulations and legislation.

Notably, POSCO — the world’s third-largest steel company — recently announced that it would begin mass producing a bismuth-based, free-cutting steel as an alternative to leaded steel for the automotive and electronic industries. POSCO’s effort was focused on improving working conditions and addressing lead toxicity, however the innovation is expected to contribute to profitability as a high value-added product. This material will be used in all TV products manufactured by LG Electronics in 2012. Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung Electronics are considering its use as well.

Bismuth has unique physical properties, including being one of the few elements that expands when it cools, which makes it important in manufacturing dimensionally stable alloys and compounds. It is used, for example, in automobile anti-corrosion alloys electro-plated on premium automobiles made in Germany. With its high density, Bismuth is used for frit coatings on automotive glass to protect windshields from exposure to ultraviolet radiation and changing temperatures.

Bismuth is also used in super conductors, fire sprinkler systems and depressants, compact discs and for heat-transfer alloys that generate electricity from diesel engines.

Fortune Minerals’ NICO gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper project in the Northwest Territories is the largest deposit of bismuth in the word, with 15% of global reserves. The project is fully integrated and undergoing an environmental assessment for a mine and mill in the Northwest Territories, and a refinery in Saskatchewan that that will produce high-value metal products, including 99.99% bismuth ingot. Fortune is attractively positioned to become a reliable North American source of bismuth in an expanding market that derives 70% of its supply from China.

Troy Nazarewicz, IR manager
Fortune Minerals
London, ON