Nonferrous Resources-A Five-Year View

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the availability of both resources and industry capacity for certain nonferrous metals that will be required by the automotive industry through 1980.

Because of the complexity of the issues involved, it will be necessary to examine some of the basic problems that have been affecting resources availability and metal capacity, as well as those problems which are expected to be troublesome in the 1975-1980 period. Although the scope of the paper is supply availability, it will also be necessary to consider demand, particularly demand by the automotive industry, in the attempt to relate materials requirements to availability. Emphasis is placed on copper, zinc, and lead, with attempts at examining exploration; development; and capacity at mine, smelter, and refinery stages in an effort to pinpoint potential bottle-necks in supply flows.