This table is identical to the "Asteroid Composition Table" also contained here, except that the "$ in 1 mil. M.T. Ore" section is replaced by "$ in 50 mil. M.T. Ore". Also, another column has been added: "M.T./50 mil. M.T. Ore" (metric tons per 50 million metric tons ore). These reflect estimated production figures and values based on a target goal of extracting and refining 50 million metric tons of asteroid ore per year in our hypothetical asteroid mining operation.
Elements are listed in decreasing order of abundance by mass. Mass data are from Web Elements Periodic Table (www.webelements.com), and are an average of other sources. PPB or mg./M.T. means Parts Per Billion by weight (mass) or milligrams per metric ton (also kilograms per million metric tons). Metallic element value data are from a USGS publication of 1998 values for refined metals. N/A means value data not available. * indicates a more up to date (2003-04) non-USGS source for value data. $ in 1 M.T. Ore (value of element mass contained in one metric ton of asteroid ore) data are rounded to nearest penny. $ in 50 mil. M.T. Ore (value of element mass contained in fifty million metric tons of asteroid ore) data are rounded to the nearest dollar. Values are in US dollars.
Please note that all figures should be used only as a general guide to abundance and values. Abundance figures represent an average composition for C-Type asteroids. The actual composition of any asteroid will vary, often significantly, from these values. Element prices are subject to market conditions and will vary, often significantly, from those stated below. Please also see the section titled "Supply and Demand - Space Economics" regarding pricing.
P.S.: Yes, we know that the sum total of PPB values exceeds one billion by about 2% (1,020,574,275). This is one reason we state that the figures below should be used only as a general guide. They represent relative abundance and are an average of values.
| ELEMENT | PPB or mg./M.T. | $ per M.T. of Elem. | $ in 1 M.T. Ore | M.T./50 mil. M.T. Ore | $ in 50 mil. M.T. Ore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxygen (O) | 410,000,000 | *$80.00 | *$32.80 | 20,500,000 | *$1,640,000,000. |
| Iron (Fe) | 220,000,000 | $410.00 | $90.20 | 11,000,000 | $4,510,000,000. |
| Silicon (Si) | 140,000,000 | *$320.45 | *$44.86 | 7,000,000 | *$2,243,150,000. |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 120,000,000 | $3,460.00 | $415.20 | 6,000,000 | $20,760,000,000. |
| Sulfur (S) | 41,000,000 | *$25.00 | *$1.03 | 2,050,000 | *$2,111,500. |
| Hydrogen (H) | 24,000,000 | *$2,000.00 | *$48.00 | 1,200,000 | *$2,400,000,000. |
| Carbon (as Graphite) (C) | 15,000,000 | *$2,750.00 | *$41.25 | 750,000 | *$2,062,500,000. |
| Nickel (Ni) | 13,000,000 | $4,630.00 | $60.19 | 650,000 | $3,009,500,000. |
| Calcium (Ca) | 11,000,000 | N/A | N/A | 550,000 | N/A |
| Aluminum (Al) | 9,800,000 | $1,440.00 | $14.11 | 490,000 | $705,600,000. |
| Sodium (Na) | 5,600,000 | N/A | N/A | 280,000 | N/A |
| Chromium (Cr) | 3,100,000 | $7,570.00 | $23.47 | 155,000 | $1,173,350,000. |
| Manganese (Mn) | 2,800,000 | $2.40 | $0.00 | 140,000 | $336,000. |
| Nitrogen (N) | 1,400,000 | *$1,623.38 | *$2.27 | 70,000 | *$113,636,600. |
| Phosphorus (P) | 1,100,000 | N/A | N/A | 55,000 | N/A |
| Potasium (K) | 710,000 | N/A | N/A | 35,500 | N/A |
| Cobalt (Co) | 600,000 | $47,245.00 | $28.35 | 30,000 | $1,417,350,000. |
| Titanium (Ti) | 550,000 | $9,650.00 | $5.30 | 27,500 | $265,375,000. |
| Chlorine (Cl) | 380,000 | N/A | N/A | 19,000 | N/A |
| Zinc (Zn) | 180,000 | $1,130.00 | $0.20 | 9,000 | $10,170,000. |
| Copper (Cu) | 110,000 | $1,730.00 | $0.19 | 5,500 | $9,515,000. |
| Fluorine (F) | 89,000 | N/A | N/A | 4,450 | N/A |
| Vanadium (V) | 62,000 | $12,060.00 | $0.75 | 3,100 | $37,386,000. |
| Germanium (Ge) | 21,000 | $1,700,000.00 | $35.70 | 1,050 | $1,785,000,000. |
| Selenium (Se) | 13,000 | $5,510.00 | $0.07 | 650 | $3,581,500. |
| Strontium (Sr) | 8,900 | N/A | N/A | 445 | N/A |
| Gallium (Ga) | 7,800 | $550,000.00 | $4.29 | 390 | $214,500,000. |
| Zirconium (Zr) | 6,700 | $248,000.00 | $1.66 | 335 | $83,080,000. |
| Scandium (Sc) | 6,500 | $18,000,000.00 | $117.00 | 325 | $5,850,000,000. |
| Rubidium (Rb) | 3,300 | $79,700,000.00 | $263.01 | 165 | $13,150,500,000. |
| Barium (Ba) | 2,800 | N/A | N/A | 140 | N/A |
| Tellurium (Te) | 2,100 | $39,680.00 | $0.08 | 105 | $4,166,400. |
| Yttrium (Y) | 1,900 | $450,000.00 | $0.86 | 95 | $42,750,000. |
| Arsenic (Y) | 1,800 | $1,010.00 | $0.00 | 90 | $90,900. |
| Lithium (Li) | 1,700 | N/A | N/A | 85 | N/A |
| Boron (B) | 1,600 | N/A | N/A | 80 | N/A |
| Lead (Pb) | 1,400 | $1,000.00 | $0.00 | 70 | $98,000. |
| Tin (Sn) | 1,200 | $8,230.00 | $0.01 | 60 | $493,800. |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 1,200 | $5,800.00 | $0.01 | 60 | $348,000. |
| Bromine (Br) | 1,200 | N/A | N/A | 60 | N/A |
| Platinum (Pt) | 1,000 | *$25,000,000.00 | *$25.00 | 50 | *$1,250,000,000. |
| Ruthenum (Ru) | 830 | *$1,925,546.00 | *$1.60 | 41.5 | *$79,910,159. |
| Cerium (Ce) | 760 | $350,000.00 | $0.27 | 38 | $13,300,000. |
| Paladium (Pd) | 670 | *$7,830,552.00 | *$5.25 | 33.5 | *$272,323,492. |
| Osmium (Os) | 670 | *$12,836,970.00 | *$8.60 | 33.5 | *$430,038,495. |
| Iridium (Ir) | 550 | *$6,739,410.00 | *$3.71 | 27.5 | *$185,333,775. |
| Neodymium (Nd) | 510 | $450,000.00 | $0.23 | 25.5 | $11,475,000. |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 450 | $617.00 | $0.00 | 22.5 | $13,882. |
| Lanthanum (La) | 290 | $350,000.00 | $0.10 | 14.5 | $5,075,000. |
| Dysprosium (Dy) | 280 | $500,000.00 | $0.14 | 14 | $7,000,000. |
| Iodine (I) | 260 | *$16,770.00 | *$0.00 | 13 | *$218,010. |
| Mercury (Hg) | 250 | $4,050.00 | $0.00 | 12.5 | $50,625. |
| Gadolinium (Gd) | 230 | $400,000.00 | $0.09 | 11.5 | $4,600,000. |
| Niobium (Columbium) (Nb) | 190 | *$3,127.00 | *$0.00 | 9.5 | *$29,706. |
| Rhodium (Rh) | 180 | $19,930,000.00 | $3.59 | 9 | $179,370,000. |
| Erbium (Er) | 180 | $725,000.00 | $0.13 | 9 | $6,525,000. |
| Ytterbium (Yb) | 180 | $1,600,000.00 | $0.29 | 9 | $14,400,000. |
| Gold (Au) | 170 | *$12,260,911.00 | *$2.08 | 8.5 | *$104,217,743. |
| Hafnium (Hf) | 170 | $187,000.00 | $0.03 | 8.5 | $1,589,500. |
| Samarium (Sm) | 170 | $300,000.00 | $0.05 | 8.5 | $2,550,000. |
| Caesium (Cs) | 140 | $63,300,000.00 | $8.86 | 7 | $443,100,000. |
| Silver (Ag) | 140 | *$190,629.00 | *$0.03 | 7 | *$1,334,403. |
| Antimony (Sb) | 120 | $1,580.00 | $0.00 | 6 | $9,480. |
| Tungsten (W) | 120 | $66.00 | $0.00 | 6 | $396. |
| Praseodymium (Pr) | 100 | $540,000.00 | $0.05 | 5 | $2,700,000. |
| Thallum (Tl) | 80 | $6,500,000.00 | $0.52 | 4 | $26,000,000. |
| Bismuth (Bi) | 70 | $7,930.00 | $0.00 | 3.5 | $27,755. |
| Europium (Eu) | 60 | $6,500,000.00 | $0.39 | 3 | $19,500,000. |
| Holmium (Ho) | 60 | $1,200,000.00 | $0.07 | 3 | $3,600,000. |
| Rhenium (Re) | 50 | *$1,322,751.00 | *$0.07 | 2.5 | *$3,306,877. |
| Indium (In) | 45 | $300,000.00 | $0.01 | 2.25 | $675,000. |
| Thorium (Th) | 40 | $33,000.00 | $0.00 | 2 | $66,000. |
| Terbium (Tb) | 40 | $1,300,000.00 | $0.05 | 2 | $2,600,000. |
| Beryllium (Be) | 30 | $848,000.00 | $0.03 | 1.5 | $1,272,000. |
| Lutetium (Lu) | 30 | $7,500,000.00 | $0.23 | 1.5 | $10,250,000. |
| Thulium (Tm) | 30 | $6,500,000.00 | $0.20 | 1.5 | $9.750,000. |
| Tantalum (Ta) | 20 | $74,950.00 | $0.00 | 1 | 74,950. |
| Uranium (U) | 10 | N/A | N/A | 0.5 | N/A |
| ALL ELEMENTS | 1,020,574,275 | N/A | $1,203.28 | 51,028,713.75 | $64,586,875,948. |
