MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2019 Abrasives Fluorspar Mercury Silicon Aluminum Gallium Mica Silver Antimony Garnet Molybdenum Soda Ash Arsenic Gemstones Nickel Stone Asbestos Germanium Niobium Strontium Barite Gold Nitrogen Sulfur Bauxite Graphite Palladium Talc Beryllium Gypsum Peat Tantalum Bismuth Hafnium Perlite Tellurium Boron Helium Phosphate Rock Thallium Bromine Indium Platinum Thorium Cadmium Iodine Potash Tin Cement Iron and Steel Pumice Titanium Cesium Iron Ore Quartz Crystal Tungsten Chromium Iron Oxide Pigments Rare Earths Vanadium Clays Kyanite Rhenium Vermiculite Cobalt Lead Rubidium Wollastonite Copper Lime Salt Yttrium Diamond Lithium Sand and Gravel Zeolites Diatomite Magnesium Scandium Zinc Feldspar Manganese Selenium Zirconium Cover: A solar evaporation pond at Albemarle Corp.’s lithium production site in Silver Peak, Nevada. Lithium compounds are used to manufacture many products. Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are needed for lithium-ion-batteries in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops, or in electric or hybrid vehicles. Butyllithium is needed for the production of synthetic rubber for tires. Lithium organics are versatile tools for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, or flavors and fragrances. The glass industry requires lithium carbonate or spodumene to improve the properties of glass. Lithium bromide is used in industrial absorption refrigeration systems that are installed in large buildings and industrial plants for air-conditioning or process cooling. (Photograph courtesy of Albemarle Corp., copyright 2016 Albemarle Corp.) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES 2019 Abrasives Fluorspar Mercury Silicon Aluminum Gallium Mica Silver Antimony Garnet Molybdenum Soda Ash Arsenic Gemstones Nickel Stone Asbestos Germanium Niobium Strontium Barite Gold Nitrogen Sulfur Bauxite Graphite Palladium Talc Beryllium Gypsum Peat Tantalum Bismuth Hafnium Perlite Tellurium Boron Helium Phosphate Rock Thallium Bromine Indium Platinum Thorium Cadmium Iodine Potash Tin Cement Iron and Steel Pumice Titanium Cesium Iron Ore Quartz Crystal Tungsten Chromium Iron Oxide Pigments Rare Earths Vanadium Clays Kyanite Rhenium Vermiculite Cobalt Lead Rubidium Wollastonite Copper Lime Salt Yttrium Diamond Lithium Sand and Gravel Zeolites Diatomite Magnesium Scandium Zinc Feldspar Manganese Selenium Zirconium U.S. Department of the Interior DAVID BERNHARDT, Acting Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019 Manuscript approved for publication February 28, 2019. For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment— visit https://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov/. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Mail: Stop IDCC; Washington, DC 20402–0001 Phone: (866) 512–1800 (toll-free); (202) 512–1800 (Washington, DC area) Fax: (202) 512–2104 Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov 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 material contained within this report. Suggested citation: U.S. Geological Survey, 2019, Mineral commodity summaries 2019: U.S. Geological Survey, 200 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/70202434. ISBN 978-1-4113-4283-5 1 CONTENTS Page Page General: Introduction .................................................................... 3 Significant Events, Trends, and Issues .......................... 7 Growth Rates of Leading and Coincident Indexes for Appendix A—Abbreviations and Units of Measure .... 194 Mineral Products ......................................................... 4 Appendix B—Definitions of Selected Terms Used in The Role of Nonfuel Minerals in the U.S. Economy ...... 5 This Report .............................................................. 194 2018 U.S. Net Import Reliance for Selected Nonfuel Appendix C—Reserves and Resources ..................... 195 Mineral Materials ........................................................ 6 Appendix D—Country Specialists Directory ............... 199 Mineral Commodities: Abrasives (Manufactured) ............................................ 18 Mercury ....................................................................... 106 Aluminum ..................................................................... 20 Mica (Natural) ............................................................. 108 Antimony ...................................................................... 22 Molybdenum ............................................................... 110 Arsenic ......................................................................... 24 Nickel .......................................................................... 112 Asbestos ...................................................................... 26 Niobium (Columbium) ................................................. 114 Barite ............................................................................ 28 Nitrogen (Fixed)—Ammonia ....................................... 116 Bauxite and Alumina .................................................... 30 Peat ............................................................................ 118 Beryllium ...................................................................... 32 Perlite ......................................................................... 120 Bismuth ........................................................................ 34 Phosphate Rock ......................................................... 122 Boron ............................................................................ 36 Platinum-Group Metals ............................................... 124 Bromine ........................................................................ 38 Potash ........................................................................ 126 Cadmium ...................................................................... 40 Pumice and Pumicite .................................................. 128 Cement......................................................................... 42 Quartz Crystal (Industrial) .......................................... 130 Cesium ......................................................................... 44 Rare Earths ................................................................ 132 Chromium..................................................................... 46 Rhenium ..................................................................... 134 Clays ............................................................................ 48 Rubidium .................................................................... 136 Cobalt ........................................................................... 50 Salt ............................................................................. 138 Copper ......................................................................... 52 Sand and Gravel (Construction) ................................. 140 Diamond (Industrial) ..................................................... 54 Sand and Gravel (Industrial) ...................................... 142 Diatomite ...................................................................... 56 Scandium .................................................................... 144 Feldspar and Nepheline Syenite .................................. 58 Selenium ..................................................................... 146 Fluorspar ...................................................................... 60 Silicon ......................................................................... 148 Gallium ......................................................................... 62 Silver ........................................................................... 150 Garnet (Industrial) ........................................................ 64 Soda Ash .................................................................... 152 Gemstones ................................................................... 66 Stone (Crushed) ......................................................... 154 Germanium .................................................................. 68 Stone (Dimension) ...................................................... 156 Gold .............................................................................. 70 Strontium .................................................................... 158 Graphite (Natural) ........................................................ 72 Sulfur .......................................................................... 160 Gypsum ........................................................................ 74 Talc and Pyrophyllite .................................................. 162 Helium .......................................................................... 76 Tantalum ..................................................................... 164 Indium .......................................................................... 78 Tellurium ..................................................................... 166 Iodine ..........................................................................