Ferroalloys and minor metals

Ferroalloys consist of iron and a proportion of one or more additional elements such as manganese, silicon, chromium etc. They are produced either in an electric arc or a blast furnace. Ferroalloys are used in production of steels and various alloys. They improve corrosion resistance, enhance grain-size control and serve as deoxidizers.

The widely used term “minor metals” refers to materials which occur as a by-product of base metal smelting process. These metals include chromium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, silicon, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and others. They are not quoted on the LME Their global production is in comparison to base metals smaller. Nevertheless, several minor metals are crucial for modern machine building. Various industries such as automotive, metallurgy, batteries along with semiconductors production and many others depend on them.