CONSUMPTION AND USES 
 
 Apparent consumption of refined selenium decreased from the 1984 level in
all major end uses. Estimated consumption of selenium by end-use category
was electronic and photocopier components, 35%; glass manufacturing, 30%;
pigment and chemicals, 25%; and other, including metallurgy and agriculture,
10%. 
 The major electronic use of selenium was as a photoreceptor in plain paper
electrophotographic copiers. 
 The U.S. automobile and construction industries contributed to a strong
demand for selenium-containing pigments. The pigments, which range in color
from light orange to maroon, depending on the selenium content, have good
heat stability and are important colorants for plastics, glass, 
FOREIGN TRADE 
 
 Exports increased to a record-high level of 154,122 kilograms. In 1985,
the United Kingdom was the recipient of about onethird of the exported selenium
materials, primarily scrap. Exports to Mexico and the Philippines accounted
for most of the increased exports. 
 Imports of selenium were the highest since the peak year of 1975, when 403,000
kilograms of selenium was imported. Canada continued to be the largest supplier
of imported selenium metal. Belgium-Luxembourg, Japan, and the United Kingdom
were the other major import sources. Approximately 75,000 kilograms of the
imported refined selenium, primarily from the United Kingdom, was recovered
from scrap that had been exported from the United States for processing.

 1098 MINERALS YEARBOOK 1985 
       DOMESTIC PRODUCTION  and ceramics The primary use of selenium 
  in the glass industry in 1985 was in contain 
 Most primary selenium was recovered er glass where it was used to decolor
the 
from anode shmes generated in the electro- yellow green tint imparted by
ferrous ions 
lytic refining of copper Selenium also was Also selenium was used in architectural

believed to have been recovered from lead plate glass, where it was used
in combina 
shmes and nonferrous flue dusts  tion with cobalt oxide and iron oxide to

 Primary selenium was recovered from reduce solar heat transmission 
both domestic and imported materials at 
three U S copper refineries Asarco at Am              PRICES 
arillo, TX; Kennecött at Magna, UT; and  Standard commercial-grade
selenium
av 
Phelps Dodge Refining Corp. at El Paso, TX. eraging 99.5% selenium was sold
as powder, 
Production at the Kennecott refinery was available in several mesh sizes
or as small 
discontinued during the year owing to the lumps or shot High purity selenium
con 
cessation of copper mining in Utah. Sele- taming 99.99% selenium or better
was 
nium-bearing copper slimes from other do- marketed as pellets or sticks.
Specifications 
mestic copper refiners were either shipped for pigment-grade selenium powder
gener 
to the above refineries or exported for ally required a selenium content
of 998% 
processing. .  Other forms of selenium available included 
 High purity selenium metal and various selenium dioxide ferroselenium sodium

selenium compounds were produced from selenite and sodium selenate 
commercial-grade metal by the three copper  The New York dealer price for
commer 
refineries and other processors  cml grade selenium quoted by Metals Week

 Scrap xerographic materials containing on a daily basis, ranged from $6.00
to $10.25 
selenium were exported to Canada and the per pound 
United Kingdom for processing to recover 
selenium.