MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2008 Abrasives Fluorspar Mercury Silicon Aluminum Gallium Mica Silver Antimony Garnet Molybdenum Soda Ash Arsenic Gemstones Nickel Sodium Sulfate Asbestos Germanium Niobium Stone Barite Gold Nitrogen Strontium Bauxite Graphite Peat Sulfur Beryllium Gypsum Perlite Talc Bismuth Hafnium Phosphate Rock Tantalum Boron Helium Platinum Tellurium Bromine Indium Potash Thallium Cadmium Iodine Pumice Thorium Cement Iron Ore Quartz Crystal Tin Cesium Iron and Steel Rare Earths Titanium Chromium Kyanite Rhenium Tungsten Clays Lead Rubidium Vanadium Cobalt Lime Salt Vermiculite Copper Lithium Sand and Gravel Yttrium Diamond Magnesium Scandium Zinc Diatomite Manganese Selenium Zirconium Feldspar U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2008 Abrasives Fluorspar Mercury Silicon Aluminum Gallium Mica Silver Antimony Garnet Molybdenum Soda Ash Arsenic Gemstones Nickel Sodium Sulfate Asbestos Germanium Niobium Stone Barite Gold Nitrogen Strontium Bauxite Graphite Peat Sulfur Beryllium Gypsum Perlite Talc Bismuth Hafnium Phosphate Rock Tantalum Boron Helium Platinum Tellurium Bromine Indium Potash Thallium Cadmium Iodine Pumice Thorium Cement Iron Ore Quartz Crystal Tin Cesium Iron and Steel Rare Earths Titanium Chromium Kyanite Rhenium Tungsten Clays Lead Rubidium Vanadium Cobalt Lime Salt Vermiculite Copper Lithium Sand and Gravel Yttrium Diamond Magnesium Scandium Zinc Diatomite Manganese Selenium Zirconium Feldspar U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 2008 Manuscript approved for publication January 30, 2008. For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1–888–ASK–USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: U.S. Geological Survey, 2008, Mineral commodity summaries 2008: U.S. Geological Survey, 199 p. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000 ISBN 978-1-4113-2076-5 1 CONTENTS Page Page General: Introduction..................................................................... 3 Appendix A—Abbreviations and Units of Measure ....194 Growth Rates of Leading and Coincident Indexes for Appendix B—Definitions of Selected Terms Used in Mineral Products......................................................... 4 This Report..............................................................194 The Role of Nonfuel Minerals in the U.S. Economy....... 5 Appendix C—A Resource/Reserve Classification for 2007 U.S. Net Import Reliance for Selected Nonfuel Minerals...................................................................195 Mineral Materials ........................................................ 6 Appendix D—Country Specialists Directory ...............198 Significant Events, Trends, and Issues.......................... 7 Mineral Commodities: Abrasives (Manufactured)............................................ 20 Mercur y.......................................................................106 Aluminum ..................................................................... 22 Mica (Natural), Scrap and Flake.................................108 Antimony ...................................................................... 24 Mica (Natural), Sheet .................................................110 Arsenic ......................................................................... 26 Molybdenum...............................................................112 Asbestos ...................................................................... 28 Nickel..........................................................................114 Barite............................................................................ 30 Niobium (Columbium).................................................116 Bauxite and Alumina.................................................... 32 Nitrogen (Fixed), Ammonia ........................................118 Beryllium ...................................................................... 34 Peat ............................................................................120 Bismuth ........................................................................ 36 Perlite .........................................................................122 Boron............................................................................ 38 Phosphate Rock .........................................................124 Bromine........................................................................ 40 Platinum-Group Metals...............................................126 Cadmium...................................................................... 42 Potash ........................................................................128 Cement......................................................................... 44 Pumice and Pumicite..................................................130 Cesium......................................................................... 46 Quartz Crystal (Industrial) ..........................................132 Chromium .................................................................... 48 Rare Earths ................................................................134 Clays ............................................................................ 50 Rhenium .....................................................................136 Cobalt........................................................................... 52 Rubidium ....................................................................138 Columbium (Niobium) [(See Niobium (Columbium)] Salt .............................................................................140 Copper ......................................................................... 54 Sand and Gravel (Construction).................................142 Diamond (Industrial)..................................................... 56 Sand and Gravel (Industrial) ......................................144 Diatomite...................................................................... 58 Scandium....................................................................146 Feldspar ....................................................................... 60 Selenium.....................................................................148 Fluorspar...................................................................... 62 Silicon .........................................................................150 Gallium......................................................................... 64 Silver...........................................................................152 Garnet (Industrial) ........................................................ 66 Soda Ash ....................................................................154 Gemstones................................................................... 68 Sodium Sulfate ...........................................................156 Germanium .................................................................. 70 Stone (Crushed) .........................................................158 Gold.............................................................................. 72 Stone (Dimension)......................................................160 Graphite (Natural) ........................................................ 74 Strontium ....................................................................162 Gypsum........................................................................ 76 Sulfur ..........................................................................164 Helium.......................................................................... 78 Talc and Pyrophyllite ..................................................166 Indium .......................................................................... 80 Tantalum.....................................................................168 Iodine ........................................................................... 82 Tellurium.....................................................................170 Iron Ore........................................................................ 84 Thallium ......................................................................172 Iron and Steel............................................................... 86 Thorium ......................................................................174 Iron and Steel Scrap .................................................... 88 Tin...............................................................................176 Iron and Steel Slag ...................................................... 90 Titanium Mineral Concentrates ..................................178 Kyanite and Related Minerals...................................... 92 Titanium and Titanium Dioxide...................................180 Lead ............................................................................