Tin

Tin is a silver-coloured, highly malleable and relatively scarce industrial mineral. Principal deposits are scattered irregularly around the Pacific Rim, with about half of global supply coming from southern Asia. Chiefly obtained from the mineral cassiterite, tin is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion or other chemical action, as an alloying agent, to produce electrically conductive coatings, in producing flat surfaces and in producing electro-magnetic fields.

The tin market is currently in balance, with some 380,000 tonnes of supply and demand expected in 2007. Tin is considered as a strategic metal and is stockpiled by the US Government.

Tantalum

Tantalum is a rare, very hard, blue-grey, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant. It is easily fabricated and highly conductive of heat and electricity, making it ideal for use in electronic components and alloys. Tantalum occurs principally in the mineral tantalite in the Central African Tin Belt.

Tantalum, due to its use in capacitors and superhard metals, is also considered a strategic mineral by the US government and is stockpiled.

Tantalum is used in capacitors (including in capacitors in implantable devices, such as pacemakers); alloys for jet engines; carbides in cutting tools; and in the chemical industry for tanks, pipes, linings, pump components and valves.

Niobium

Niobium generally occurs together with tantalum in the Central African Tin Belt, and is used in super alloys in jet engines, rocket assemblies and other heat resisting and combustion equipment, and in arc-welding rods for stainless steel welding. Niobium is used extensively in nuclear reactors due to its non corrosive property, and because it does not react with uranium. Niobium has super magnetic conductive properties.

Tungsten

Occurs principally in the form of wolframite. Tungsten monocarbide has a hardness close to that of diamond. Tungsten’s primary uses are in hard metals (cemented carbides), improving steel properties, tungsten metal alloying, in lighting filaments and other electrical applications.