Misc
Brass Rods: The Secure Choice
The following content is sponsored by the Copper Development Association
Brass Rods: The Secure Choice
The unique combination of machinability and recyclability makes brass rods the secure choice for manufacturers seeking future-proof raw material solutions.
This infographic, from the Copper Development Association, shows three ways brass rods give manufacturers greater control and a license to grow in the competitive market for precision-machined and forged products.
Future-Proof Investments in New Machine Tools
A material’s machinability directly impacts machine throughput, which typically has the largest impact on machine shop profitability.
The high-speed machining capabilities of brass rods maximize machine tool performance, allowing manufacturers to run the material faster and longer without sacrificing tool life, chip formation, or surface quality.
The high machining efficiency of brass leads to reduced per-part costs, quicker return on investment (ROI) for new machine tools, and expanded production capacity for new projects.
Supply Security Through Closed Loop Recycling
Brass, like its parent element copper, can be infinitely recycled.
In 2022, brass- and wire-rod mills accounted for the majority of the 830,000 tonnes of copper recycled from scrap in the U.S.
Given that scrap ratios for machined parts typically range from 60-70% by weight, producing mills benefit from a secure and steady supply of clean scrap returned directly from customers, which is recycled to create new brass rods.
The high residual value of brass scrap creates a strong recycling incentive. Scrap buy back programs give manufacturers greater control over raw material net costs as scrap value is often factored into supplier purchase agreements.
Next Generation Alloys for a Lead-Free Future
Increasingly stringent global regulations continue to pressure manufacturers to minimize the use of materials containing trace amounts of lead and other harmful impurities.
The latest generation of brass-rod alloys is engineered to meet the most demanding criteria for lead leaching in drinking water and other sensitive applications.
Seven brass-rod alloys passed rigorous testing to become the only ‘Acceptable Materials’ against lower lead leaching criteria recently adopted in the national U.S. drinking water quality standard, NSF 61.
Learn more about the advantages of brass rods solutions.
Visualizing Raw Steel Production in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Steel is essential for the economy due to its crucial role in infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, and transportation sectors.
This graphic breaks down the estimated global production of raw steel in 2023. The data was sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey as of January 2024.
China Produces More Than Half the World’s Steel
One major issue facing the steel industry is overcapacity in top producer China.
Steel production in China has surpassed demand in recent years, leading to downward pressure on the profit margins of steel mills worldwide.
Historically, China’s troubled real estate sector has accounted for over one-third of the country’s steel consumption. To address this issue, the Chinese government has mandated steel production cuts since 2021.
Far behind China, India is the second-biggest producer of steel, followed by Japan.
| Country | Region | 2023 Production (million tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | Asia | 1,000 |
| 🇮🇳 India | Asia | 140 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | Asia | 87 |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | North America | 80 |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | Europe | 75 |
| 🇰🇷 S. Korea | Asia | 68 |
| 🌍 Rest of World | 420 | |
| Total | 1,870 |
Infinite Recyclability
Steel is an alloy primarily composed of iron ore containing less than 2% carbon, 1% manganese, and other trace elements. It is 1,000 times stronger than iron and can be recycled over and over without sacrificing quality.
Steel is widely used in various industries. It is a fundamental material in construction, providing support through beams, internal structures, and roofing.
Moreover, steel’s corrosion-resistant properties make it ideal for water infrastructure. Stainless steel pipes are the preferred choice for underground water systems, ensuring longevity and purity in water transportation.
Additionally, most canned foods are stored in steel containers for preservation, as steel does not rust.
Misc
Visualizing Cobalt Production by Country in 2023
The Democratic Republic of Congo accounts for 74% of the world’s cobalt output.
Visualizing Cobalt Production by Country in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Cobalt is a critical mineral used in numerous commercial, industrial, and military applications. In recent years, it has gained attention as it is also necessary for batteries used in cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs).
This graphic illustrates estimated cobalt production by country in 2023 in metric tons. The data is from the most recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries, published in January 2024.
The DRC Produces 74% of Global Cobalt
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for 74% of the world’s cobalt output. Although the metal is found on a large scale in other parts of the world, like Australia, Europe, and Asia, the African nation holds the biggest reserve by far. Of the 11,000,000 metric tons of worldwide reserves, it is estimated that 6,000,000 metric tons are located in the DRC.
| Country | metric tons | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇩 DRC | 170,000 | 74% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 17,000 | 7% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 8,800 | 4% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 4,600 | 2% |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 4,000 | 2% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 3,800 | 2% |
| 🌍 Other Countries | 21,100 | 9.00% |
| Total | 229,300 | 100% |
Since around 20% of the cobalt mined in the DRC originates from small-scale artisanal mines, often employing child labor, the extraction of the metal has been a point of intense debate. With a long history of conflict, political upheaval, and instability, the country is often listed among the poorest nations in the world.
Today, the EV sector constitutes 40% of the overall cobalt market.
China is the world’s leading consumer of cobalt, with nearly 87% of its consumption used by the lithium-ion battery industry.
In the U.S., 50% of cobalt consumed is used in superalloys, mainly in aircraft gas turbine engines.
Learn More About Critical Minerals From Visual Capitalist
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out The Critical Minerals to China, EU, and U.S. National Security. This visualization shows which minerals are essential to China, the United States, and the European Union.
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