Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: djane who wrote (46947)	5/15/1998 7:34:00 AM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 61433

****OT**** Lead-free solders seen as good boost for tin use Reuters Story - May 15, 1998 01:31 %TH %JP %ELC %APL %MET %EMRG 6501.T 6752.T V%REUTER P%RTR PHUKET, Thailand, May 15 (Reuters) - Increasing use of lead-free solders is set to increase world demand for tin, an official at the International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) said on Friday. Steve Blunden, ITRI head of research and development, said a more environmental friendly lead-free solder as opposed to a regular tin-lead solder currently used widely is likely to be popular in electronic and other uses such as heaters, ventilators and sanitary equipment. Major Japanese electronic equipment producers like Hitachi Ltd and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd were already considering making their products lead-free by the year 2001, he said. "If the Japanese electronics industry goes lead free, others will follow," he told a Metal Bulletin international tin conference here. It is estimated that the present consumption of tin in the electronic sector is approximately 48,000 tonnes per year compared with 75,000 tonnes per year by the entire solder industry. "A switch to lead-free product (in the electronic sector) will result in the average tin content of the solder increasing to approximately 97 percent. Tin consumption in the sector will therefore rise to 74,000 tonnes a year, an increase of 26,000 tonnes," he said.