Applications
Bismuth has few commercial applications, none of which is particularly large. Taking the US as an example, 884 tonnes of bismuth were consumed in 2010, of which 63% went into chemicals (including pharmaceuticals, pigments, and cosmetics), 26% into metallurgical additives for casting and galvanizing, 7% into bismuth alloys, solders and ammunition, and the balance into research and other uses.
Some manufacturers use Bismuth as a substitute in equipment for potable water systems such as valves to meet "lead-free" mandates in the U.S. (starts in 2014). This is a fairly large application since it covers all residential and commercial building construction.
In the early 1990s, researchers began to evaluate bismuth as a nontoxic replacement for lead in various applications.
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