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.
This is one of Voltcon Commodity Search's key areas of focus with the founder of our company working with our key clientele. Voltcon has made a large number of placements which are detailed below and under the specific metal products. Recent work includes:
- Head of Metal Trading, United Kingdom
- Head of Metal Traffic Team, Switzerland
- Head of Proprietary Trading, United States
- Head of Metal Sales, Netherlands
- Trading Manager (Aluminium and Copper), China
- Contracts Administration Manager, Singapore
- Head of Metals Research, United Kingdom
| Cast iron uses | Steel uses |
|---|---|
| Cylinder blocks in the engines of cars | Domestic appliances (refrigerators, washing machines) |
| Fences | Car manufacturing |
| Hardware (hinges and latches) | Road and rail infrastructure |
| Manhole covers | Shipbuilding |
Mining Minerals
We are able to excavate minerals from the earth through mining. The first stage of mining is the discovery of the ore body through techniques such as geological and satellite surveys. The estimated value of the deposit is estimated and then funding is sourced based on whether it is economically viable to excavate. The final stage before mining is the development of the mine by sourcing the relevant equipment and transport and upgrading the local infrastructure if necessary.
Once mined, metals need to be extracted from their natural mineral deposits; this process is known as mineral processing or ore dressing. The ore will usually be sold domestically or exported to a refiner for this.
The commercially valuable concentrate is separated from any unwanted impurity by either grinding the host rock to a powder and/or a combination of several mechanical and chemical techniques. During this process, metals usually bind with other elements to create compounds (also called ores) due to their reactivity.
Some metal elements will more readily combine with other elements than others. Usually, the more reactive a metal is, the harder it is to remove from its ore, and the more expensive it is to process.
The final stage of the process is the refining stage. Refining processes fall into two basic types: pyrometallurgical (dry) and hydrometallurgical (wet); smelting falls in to the pyrometallurgical type. Impurities are removed and the metal is converted into a state which allows the fabrication of the end product; this is refined metal. The metal is now ready to be sold to the market as an end product and will either be shipped to a warehouse or its final customer.
