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Gold/Mining/Energy : Silver prices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alan Whirlwind who wrote (3161)	12/17/2000 7:21:06 PM
From: The Vet	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 8010

The lead free solder movement - silver use MUST increase, but none of the demand figures that I have seen seem to have considered it. NEMI Group Recommends Tin/Silver/Copper Alloy as Industry Standard for Lead-Free Solder Reflow in Board Assemblies nemi.org Silver* Lead Free Plumbing Solder A unique patented alloy of tin, silver, copper, and bismuth. Meets the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act for use on copper potable water lines. oatey.com Lead free solder - companies who supply solderworld.com NEMI backs lead-free solder alloy for standard eet.com Lead-Free Solder Tin-lead solder is the most commonly used solder for electronic assembly. However, there are concerns about the use of lead due to its adverse effects on human health. Lead is linked to health hazards such as disorders of the nervous and reproductive systems and delayed neurological and physical development. Lead poisoning is particularly damaging to the neurological development of young children. rayprasad.com Remarks on Lead-Free Stained Glass Soldering I'm no health professional, so I won't begin to describe the health risks associated with lead. All I'll say is that the risks are well known, very serious and totally avoidable. My stained glass work is exclusively lead-free........ My Favorite Solder: IA-423 After weeks of searching around (quite a while ago) I found one, not yet readily available through stained glass suppliers, that is made primarily for the electronics and automotive industries. It's called IA-423 from Johnson Manufacturing. It's a relatively recent eutectic alloy (93.6% Tin, 4.7% Silver, 1.7% Copper) elvesofester.com Legislation pages lead-free.org There now appears to be general agreement, certainly within UK industry, on the acceptability of Sn-Ag-Cu as a replacement for Sn-Pb. lead-free.org AMES LABORATORY SIGNS INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AGREEMENT ON LEAD-FREE SOLDER ameslab.gov Safer Solder Swap Suggestion: Lead-free Solder Special, non-lead alloys are available to eliminate the hazards of lead in the workplace. A 97/3, 97 % tin and 3% silver, alloy is available at electronic parts stores. Contact ORS for disposal of unwanted 65/35 lead solder. acns.nwu.edu DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment lead-free.org Lead-free Solders for Drinking Water Plumbing Systems Reasons For The Ban The basis for the public health concern is the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for lead in drinking water established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Cost Considerations The alternative solders cost somewhat more per pound than 50-50. Offsetting this higher material cost is the fact that 20 to 25% more joints can be made per pound of tin-antimony and tin-silver solders because they are lighter in weight (lower density) than 50-50. While the cost of tin-antimony solders is almost twice that of 50-50, and tin-silver solders are about four times as expensive, it should be appreciated that the average dwelling unit requires only one or two pounds of solder to install its potable water system. The increased cost of the alternative solder is thus completely insignificant in the cost of a home and the joints made with it are stronger, safer at elevated temperature and assuredly lead-free. environment.copper.org Lead-Free Solder Leads To "Greener" IC Packaging.(Company Business and Marketing) Author/s: David Morrison Issue: March 6, 2000 In an ongoing effort to replace toxic metals used in semiconductor manufacturing, STMicroelectronics, Lexington, Mass., has developed ball-gridarray (BGA) and microBGA packages that are lead-free. These packages incorporate solder balls formed from a combination of tin, silver, and copper, rather than the traditional tin-lead aloy. The "ecoBGA" is a product of the company's ECOPACK program--launched in 1998--to develop environmentally friendly manufacturing processes ahead of any legal mandates from regulatory agencies. findarticles.com

To: Alan Whirlwind who wrote (3161)	12/18/2000 3:34:11 AM
From: goldsheet	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8010

> Silver consumption is also going up It's currently flat. Saw one estimate of -0.7% for 2000. > New mines come and go. Some only have 5 years of real life I can't recall anyone developing a new mine with only a 5 year life, most need to run 10+ years to justify the capital investment. A good example is the Apex Silver's proposed San Cristobal with 470moz AG proven and probable, which they planto mine at 27moz per year. With another 120moz is resources, this should be a 20 year mine. > but I don't think silver can sit around $5 indefinitely and still have as much primary production as now. Why not ? This is the same discussion I had years ago with gold. As prices went for $400 in late 1995 to $270 now, production went from 2250 to 2570, almost +15%. Remember, as you pointed out, 77% of silver is byproduct dumped on the market regardless of price. Only primary silver miners really care about silver prices, the copper/gold/lead-zinc miners have different priorities.

To: Alan Whirlwind who wrote (3161)	12/19/2000 4:01:55 PM
From: TheBusDriver	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 8010

<<At some point, silver will be tight enough for investors to pile into it. >> but as CC says "When?" from the numbers I have been reading on this thread of increasing production beyond consumption and remaining stockpiles I don't see a real "supply and demand" reason for silver to make the jumps toward $15 - $50 that I have heard of....if silver does move I just hope it is in my lifetime!...not much time left anymore! I am begining to worry a bit about some of my silver stocks! wayne