Guangxi tin, lead, zinc smelters shut

Factiva: "Several smelters in Guangxi province, are the latest to be shut down by Chinese authorities as a result of an arsenic poisoning incident, sources said.

The smelters—located in Hechi city, one of China's top tin and lead producing regions—were ordered to shut Wednesday, the sources said, estimating that some 20,000 tonnes per month of zinc, lead, and tin production could be affected. The shutdowns were ordered after 200 people reportedly were affected by pollutants discharged into local rivers.

A tin and lead operation affiliated with major producer Liuzhou China Tin Group Co. Ltd. is among the smelters ordered to shut, according to a report by China Dail"

Congo government to ban exports of tin ore

Factiva: "The Democratic Republic of Congo is to extend the current ban on exporting copper ore from Katanga province to the tin-rich provinces of North and South Kivu in Jan 2009. The aim is to have further processing within the country. The two provinces account for almost all the country's tin production, but a lack of processing facilities means the metal is exported in ore form. Under the new law, tin can only be exported in concentrated form."

Preparation and gas sensitivity of SnO2 nanopowder homogenously doped with Pt nanoparticles

Scopus : "Platinum (Pt)-doped SnO2 nanopowders were prepared by a new doping method which controls the surface charge by controlling the pH. Individual Pt particles were homogenously doped on the surface of the SnO2 nanoparticles at pH 6."

Bolivian government to tag $155 M for mining projects in 2009

Factiva: "Bolivian state company Comibol intends to invest $155 M in the mining sector in 2009, three times more than what the government is expecting to place in the sector in 2008. Projects lined up for 2008 include the reactivation of the Telamayu foundry and Buen Retiro processing plant at Potosi; completion of the upgrading of the company's grinding, crushing and chemical leach facility that treats copper oxide ore from the Corocoro mine in the La Paz department; and expansion and development of the Huanuni tin mine at Oruro, where a new 3000 tonne/day factory is planned to be built."

Novosibirsk Tin Pledges to Honor Put Option in a Month

Factiva: "Novosibirsk Tin Combine  said it intended to honor its liabilities under a second series of bonds within a month. NOK failed to fulfill a put option on its series-2 bond issue on October 2, in the first technical default among Russian metals companies.  NOK attributed this to 'temporary difficulties with liquidity.' 'Management is carrying out a set of measures to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and to honor the put option within a month,' the company said on October 6.  NOK had been preparing to sell a number of non-core enterprises in order to honor its commitments to bondholders. 'But the general financial crisis has set this process back and the transaction has not yet been completed,' NOK said."

Tin Dioxide Nanobelts

Scopus: The role of surface oxygen vacancies in the optical properties of tin dioxide nanobelts is investigated in this paper.

Tin dioxide nanobelts could be used as gas sensors - using photoluminescence or electrical conductance as the signal.

Zhong Wang at Georgia University works in this field.

Tin alloy may face supply snag

Factiva: "Tin alloy may face supply snag: Concerns that the European Union's new REACH regulations will disrupt supplies of metals like tin alloys could be realized by the year's end, if companies don't take steps to comply with the rules, tin research body ITRI said last week.