Our products in society

Our products are the building blocks for many of life’s essentials. We produce commodities in a way that cares for people and the environment, working in partnership with communities, governments and others to create a lasting positive legacy for society.

Our products

The natural resources we extract are at the heart of many vital products and services, from the building blocks of new cities to everyday items like cutlery, to the high-precision metals to produce mobile phones or jet engines.

“We provide vital products for society in a responsible way. That’s something to be proud of.” Mick Davis,
Chief Executive Officer,
Xstrata plc

We are a major producer of seven commodities:

• Copper – for conducting heat or energy or connecting us via the phones and laptops essential to modern life
• Thermal or energy coal – to generate the electricity that powers our lives
• Metallurgical or coking coal – a vital ingredient in making steel for buildings or cars
• Nickel – used to make jet engines and mobile phones, nickel is also an ingredient in stainless steel, used for construction, household appliances and many daily products
• Zinc – used to galvanise metal and protect it from rust, zinc is also essential for the human immune system
• Ferrochrome – to make stainless steel used in fridges, washing machines, cutlery and many everyday items
• Platinum – reduces emissions from vehicles in catalytic converters and a popular metal for jewellery
• Vanadium – strengthen steel to improve the safety of buildings

Making mining more efficient

Our global technology business works with mining and metals companies around the world to improve efficiency. From our IsaMill™ solution to use less energy and recover more metal from the material we grind, to ISASMELT™ to produce finished metal in a cleaner, cheaper way.