Metal Trading
Metal has been fundamental in the progression of industry and transportation in our society since the discovery of copper thousands of years ago.Metal Trading Around the Globe
Metal has been fundamental in the progression of industry and transportation in our society since the discovery of copper thousands of years ago. The hundreds of metals present in our lives today are used everywhere in our everyday life for countless purposes. The metals that are traded can be grouped in to the following categories: minerals, ferrous metals (cast iron, steels, and stainless steel), non-ferrous metals (precious metals, base metals and minor metals), ferroalloys and noble alloys.
As a trading commodity, volumes of metal have continually expanded on the back of an increased interest in commodity trading and an expanding range of products have become available to trade.
At Global Trading can help source the right metal for your needs and requirements at a competitive price.
Ferrous Metals
Ferrous metals are those which contain iron, with the most common known as cast iron, steel and stainless steel. Iron is the world’s most commonly used metals. Iron ore is the key ingredient of steel which represents 95% of all metal used per year. Iron ore is in demand globally for structural engineering applications, maritime purposes, automobile manufacturing and industrial machinery. Mining iron is a high volume low margin business and requires significant investment in infrastructure in order to transport the iron ore. The largest producers of iron ore are in Brazil, China and Australia. China is currently the largest consumer of iron ore and is the world’s largest steel producing country.
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Cast Iron use Cases
- Cylinder blocks in the engines of cars
- Fences
- Hardware (hinges and latches)
- Heavy cooking utensils
- Manhole covers
- Piping
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Steel use Cases
- Domestic appliances (refrigerators, washing machines)
- Car manufacturing
- Road and rail infrastructure
- Shipbuilding
- Structural skeletons of buildings
Chromium is added to carbon steel to create stainless steel. The added chromium makes the steel rust and stain-resistant. Examples of stainless steel use include cutlery and sinks. As the steel industry is large and varied Global Trading can assist you with the specifics of the steel products of which you require.
Non-Ferrous Metals
Non-ferrous metals are categorised in to three subgroups, precious metals, base metals and minor metals.
Precious Metals refer to gold, silver, and the platinum group metals (PGM: platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium.) Base metals are common metals which are not considered precious and are known as industrial commodities. Base metals includes aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc. The base metal market plays a fundamental role in the world economy. They are mined and traded globally and are used widely in commercial and industrial applications such as construction, vehicle manufacturing, shipbuilding, domestic appliances and food packaging. The minor metals group includes antimony, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, silicon, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and zirconium. Traditionally, minor metals referred to those metals not traded on formal exchanges due to their relatively low production or specialist applications (filaments in lightbulbs, electronic pastes, and components in small electrical gadgets) compared to the base metals, however Global Trading is well positioned to source minor metals.
Ferroalloys and Noble Ferroalloys
Alloys consisting of iron with a high proportion of one or more other chemical elements are referred to as ferroalloys. They are one of the most important inputs in the manufacture of alloys and special steel. Ferroalloys are made of chromium, manganese and silicon.
Noble ferroalloys include ferronickel, ferrovanadium, ferrotitanium, ferrotungsten, ferro-boron, ferro-niobium, and ferro-phosphorus. More than 85% of ferroalloys produced are used primarily in the steel manufacturing industry. Using ferroalloys in the iron and steel industry is the most economical way to introduce an alloying element in the steel melt.
Metal Types
Ferrous Metals
Ferrous metals are those which contain iron, with the most common known as cast iron, steel and stainless steel.
Non-Ferrous Metals
Non-ferrous metals are categorised in to three subgroups, precious metals, base metals and minor metals.
Ferroalloys
Alloys consisting of iron with one or more other chemical elements are referred to as ferroalloys.