This briefing paper provides an overview of t he global iron and steel sector. It describes the properties of iron ore and delineates the geographical distribution of deposits and trade flows. Further, it explains pricing mechanisms and addresses environmental impacts. Iron and steel are key...

A novel measure of two classes of monthly commodity price uncertainty is constructed by applying mixed-frequency state-space modelling to price forecasts of six energy and fourteen metal commodities. Energy price uncertainty shocks are contractionary for the world economy, while metal price...

Infra-monthly time series have increasingly appeared on the radar of official statistics in recent years, mostly as a consequence of a general digital transformation process and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Many of those series are seasonal and thus in need for seasonal...

A novel measure of two classes of monthly commodity price uncertainty is constructed by applying mixed-frequency state-space modelling to forecasts of prices of six energy and fourteen metal commodities. Energy price uncertainty shocks are found to be contractionary for the world economy, while...

Metallic glass composites (MGCs) inherit the high strength of their glassy matrix and exhibit remarkable plastic deformation, hence have great potential in engineering applications. However, their preparation often relays on arduous component exploration or involves elusive technological...

Rehabilitation of disused mine sites through stabilisation and botanical restoration is ecologically important, but metal transfer pathways to colonising wildlife are often less understood and have never been studied in marsupials. The rehabilitated Royal George tin mine tailings and...

A superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle greater than 160° and a sliding angle ~2° was fabricated by a simple, low-cost chemical etching method. The evaporation characteristics of glycerol-water droplets with different viscosities on the superhydrophobic surface and the smooth surface...

A superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle greater than 160° and a sliding angle ~2° was fabricated by a simple, low-cost chemical etching method. The evaporation characteristics of glycerol-water droplets with different viscosities on the superhydrophobic surface and the smooth surface...