Category: Metals

Copper Uses, Resources, Supply, Demand and Production Information Republished from USGS Fact Sheet [1] and Mineral Commodity Summary [2] Statue of Liberty: In 1886, the Statue of Liberty represented the largest use of copper in a single structure. To build the statue, about 80 tons of copper sheet was cut and hammered to a thickness of about 2.

By Emily Claire Ferré Uses of silver: Historically, silver has been used in coins, silverware, and jewelry, but today, these uses account for less than half of all silver consumption. Silver has become a material of innovation that appears in many unexpected places. Images copyright iStockphoto / Jorge Farres Sanchez, Tatiana Buzuleac, Nigel Spooner, and Stephanie Frey.

The demand for rare earth elements has grown rapidly, but their occurrence in minable deposits is limited. Article by: Hobart M. King, Ph.D., RPG Rare Earth Element Production: This chart shows a history of rare earth element production, in metric tons of rare earth oxide equivalent, between 1950 and 2017.

Chromium Uses, Resources, Supply, Demand and Production Information Republished from a USGS Fact Sheet from September, 2010 Chromium in paint: School bus yellow, originally called chrome yellow for the chromium pigment, was adopted for use on school buses in North America in 1939 because black lettering on the yellow buses is easy to see in the semidarkness of early morning.

Republished from: The Principal Rare Earth Elements Deposits of the United States , USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5220 By Keith R. Long, Bradley S. Van Gosen, Nora K. Foley, and Daniel Cordier. Rare earth element map: Rare earth element districts in the United States are mainly located in the west.

Lead has been used by humans for a variety of purposes for more than 5,000 years. Republished from a 2011 Fact Sheet by S.J. Kropschot and Jeff L. Doebrich of the United States Geological Survey. Lead-acid car battery: Typical lead-acid ignition batteries in automobiles contain about 10 kilograms of lead and need to be replaced every 4 to 5 years.

The metal that is key to preventing corrosion Republished from United States Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011-3016 by S.J. Kropschot and Jeff L. Doebrich Zinc: Refined zinc metal is bluish-white when freshly cast; it is hard and brittle at most temperatures and has relatively low melting and boiling points.

Beryllium is a strategic and critical material used in many products essential for national security. Republished from USGS Fact Sheet 2012-3056 Beryllium telescope mirror: View of the back of one of the 18 beryllium mirror segments for the James Webb Space Telescope. The ribs at the back of the mirror help to maintain the mirror's strength and ability to hold its shape under extreme conditions.

Adapted from USGS Fact Sheet 2014-3087, August 2014, by William F. Cannon. Manganese: Manganese has an atomic number of 25 and a chemical symbol of Mn. What is Manganese? Manganese is a silver metallic element with an atomic number of 25 and a chemical symbol of Mn. It is not found as an element in nature.

Article by: Hobart M. King, Ph.D., RPG CIA A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft: Photograph of a CIA A-12 supersonic reconnaissance aircraft named "The Titanium Goose" preparing to refuel at high altitude. The name is fitting as many of its parts are made with titanium. Image by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Nickel Uses, Resources, Supply, Demand, and Production Information Republished from a USGS Fact Sheet from March 2012 Nickel in jet engines: Nickel alloys are used in the turbine blades and other parts of jet engines where temperature can reach 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures can reach 40 atmospheres.