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Bismuth, China
Changsha (Hunan), China28.23°N 112.94°E
computed criticality17/100
reading
China ≈81% of world refinery bismuth production (USGS 2024)
2024Fault line
China refines about 81% of the world's bismuth (13,000 of 16,000 tons), mostly as a byproduct of tungsten and lead; the United States has produced no primary bismuth since 1997. This low-melting-point metal is a non-toxic replacement for lead in alloys and solders, and a pharmaceutical active ingredient (bismuth subsalicylate).
Actors
China
Laos
South Korea
Japan
Sources