See chart below for cash price trends in aluminum, copper, and zinc for the mid-August to mid-October period.

(Most recent metal cash prices now found on Today page.)

AFS Seeks Research on Mg Components

Alcoa pulls the plug on magnesium - The Wall Street Journal reported that Alcoa will shut down its magnesium smelter in Addy, WA. The decision was driven by the low world market price for magnesium, and the opportunity for Alcoa to sell the electricity in hungry Western U.S. power markets. (6/25/01) For more on the current market situation for magnesium, see Mainstreaming Magnesium.

Other shoe drops on aluminum -- Following fast on the heels of news that aluminum production in the Northwest U.S. will be cut back sharply in the months ahead comes the news that Brazilian aluminum production is being hit by electricity shortages. The cause is the same in each case: low river levels have reduced the availability of the cheap hydroelectric power that the aluminum smelting process consumes in abundance.

More Al Production Cut - The Wall Street Journal reported that Canada's Alcan said it will reduce production of aluminum at its Kitimat, BC, smelter, by as much as 50% because of low water levels in its power-generation reservoirs. Alcan will sell the freed-up electrical power to energy starved western U.S. states. (06/11/01)

Stainless steel . . .

is essentially a low carbon steel which contains chromium at 10% or more by weight. It is this addition of chromium that gives the steel its unique stainless, corrosion resisting properties. More at Specialty Steel Institute of America website.

Cool!

Phase Diagrams for every metal in the periodic table can be viewed at the "Phase Diagram Web" of The Georgia Tech Joint Student Chapter of ASM/TMS.

The chart below shows cash price trends in aluminum, copper, and zinc for the mid-August to mid-October period (based on reports in The Wall Street Journal).

From the AFS Congress in Dallas: Mainstreaming Magnesium

Stories from previous months: Metal Archives

Links to other valuable information sources

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