Bismuth Prices – Historical Graph

Real-time chart of historical daily bismuth prices. The prices are shown in 50 pounds.
The current price is and is last updated on .
  • The average price in the past 3 days is
  • The average price in the past 7 days is
  • The average price in the past 30 days is
  • The average price in the past 365 days is

Bismuth Prices Explained

Bismuth prices continuously make headlines in trading platforms due to their consistent price increase. The Indian market experienced a 12% surge in its prices and Italy suffered a whopping 43% increase. This rising value stems from the growing demand for electronics, the utilization of healthcare services, and the shift to non-toxic metal usage.

Why are bismuth prices fluctuating?

1. Rarity and Limited Distribution

Bismuth prices largely depend on its output as it is rare and limited in distribution. This metal’s extraction and processing requires substantial resources which contributes to its high cost. Additionally, its price relies on purity, demand, and the state or country where it is sold.

2. Top Industry Consumer

Bismuth has various applications across different industries. However, the pharmaceutical industry stands out as a significant consumer. Pharmaceutical companies use bismuth compounds to treat conditions like gastric ulcers, burns, and diarrhea. As a result, metal market analysts forecasted a 4%-5% global bismuth demand growth, ultimately fueling bismuth prices.

3. Supply and Demand Dynamics

Due to its rarity, its supply is limited in the market. Additionally, it occurs as a by-product of refining lead, copper, tin, silver, and gold ores. The world’s largest producer of bismuth is China, followed distantly by Peru and Bolivia. Its production output consistently falls behind its demand due to these factors:

Mine closures – Declining ore grades and production’s rising costs made some companies prioritize other metals that provide marketability.

Environmental regulations – Strict environmental regulations due to the international green energy approach make bismuth mining more expensive.

Moreover, the need for this metal continuously grows due to its increasing use in various industries. For instance, the automotive sector uses bismuth to protect brake linings and rust-resistant coatings. Thus, these emerging applications from top industry consumers and restricted supply greatly influence bismuth prices.

Which variables impact the price of bismuth?

  • Rarity and Limited Distribution
  • Top Industry Consumer
  • Supply and Demand Dynamics
  • Currency Rates
  • Environmental Regulations

Where does bismuth come from?

Bismuth ore is typically mined underground using conventional mining methods such as drilling and blasting. The ore is transported to a processing facility.

The mined ore is crushed and ground to a fine powder using various equipment such as jaw crushers, ball mills, and rod mills. The goal is to reduce the ore to a particle size that is small enough for the bismuth to be extracted.

Next, the bismuth particles are coated with a water-repellent agent which causes them to attach to the air bubbles. The air bubbles rise to the top of a tank where they are collected.

After, the concentrate is smelted in a furnace to extract the bismuth metal.

This is done by heating the boiler to a high temperature which causes the bismuth to melt and separate from the other materials in the concentrate. Then, the molten bismuth is filtered to remove any impurities by adding chemicals to the bismuth. The most common refining process is called electrorefining.

Finally, the refined bismuth is cast into shapes. This is done by pouring the molten bismuth into molds. Additionally, these molds can be made into graphite, steel, and copper.

What are the uses of bismuth?

Bismuth’s unique properties find its way to:

1. Pharmaceuticals – Bismuth compounds are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, bismuth is used for treating diarrhea, and bismuth salt is used for curing hemorrhoids and pouchitis. Additionally, they are also added to cosmetics, batteries, paints, and pigment plastics in manufacturing.

2. Cosmetics and Pigments – Bismuth oxychloride is used in cosmetics such as eyeshadow and nail polish due to its shining properties. Its unique color and shimmer make it a popular choice for cosmetic products.

3. Lead Replacement – Bismuth is a good replacement for lead in various applications. It is used in low melting solders, fusible alloys, shots and shotguns, and electric fuses owing to its relatively low melting point and non-toxic nature.

4. Catalysts – Bismuth compounds serve as catalysts in the production of acrylonitrile, a starting material for synthetic fibers and rubbers. Thus, this highlights bismuth’s importance in the industrial sector.

Overall, this metal largely comes from China, Laos, South Korea, Japan, and Kazakhstan.

What is the future price of bismuth?

According to the market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the global bismuth market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2%. The rising demand for bismuth in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and electronics industries fuels its market growth.

The significant application of the commodity in this sector due to its gastroprotective, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer qualities fuels its marketability. Additionally, bismuth’s oxide optical properties benefit optoelectronics and telecommunications. Its role as a radiopaque contrast agent in medical imaging makes it ideal for pharmaceuticals and environmental applications, including pollution remediation and catalytic converters.

Thus, these factors will fuel the growth of the bismuth oxide segment of the market during the forecast period. Its limited output contributes to its tightening supply chain and soaring prices.  Overall, metal analysts predicted that the bismuth price will rise to $10.50 per pound by 2030.

TRACKED PRICES

Other prices we're tracking