Product Description

The battery sector is the single largest consumer of lead, accountingfor around three-quarters of the demand. It can be sub-divided intothe following groups:

SLI (Starting-Lighting-Ignition) batteries, which currently accountsfor around half of the total lead demand. These are mainly used incars and light vehicles, but are also found in other applications suchas golf carts and boats. SLI battery demand in turn can be split intooriginal equipment and replacement, with replacement demandoutstripping original equipment demand by about 4:1 in mature markets.

Industrial batteries, which currently consumes around a quarter of thetotal lead produced. This sector can be split roughly *0:*0 intostationary and traction batteries. Stationary batteries areprincipally used in back up power supply systems; traction batteriesare used for motive power in equipment such as forklift trucks andmotorised wheelchairs.

The remainder is used in non-battery applications. The second largestcurrent end use of lead for non-batteryapplications, accounting foraround 8% of lead consumption, is the chemical industry, in the formof lead-based pigments and other compounds. Principal markets are forcathode ray tubes used in television screens and computer monitors,and for Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) stabilisers.