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Mineral
News
Report
on world Bauxite and Alumina
Unprecedented growth rate in production
After languishing during the first half of the 1990s, the bauxite and
alumina industries have expanded rapidly in the last few years.
World production of bauxite and alumina grew at an unprecedented rate
between 1994 and 2000 to leave bauxite production in 2000 at 135.7Mt,
some 26% higher than in 1994, and alumina production at 51.6Mt, 28%
higher. Average annual growth rates over this period were 3.9% and
4.2% respectively. Growth in both commodities was relatively broadly
based, and although Australian production accounted for the largest
share of the increase in volume terms, Chinese and Brazilian output of
both bauxite (16%py and 8%py respectively) and alumina (15%py and
12%py) showed the most rapid expansion in average annual percentage
terms.
Output growth is expected to slow considerably in the near term.
Demand for non-metallurgical bauxite is forecast to grow at 0.8%py up
to 2006, bringing the market to just over 7Mtpy. The highest
growth in percentage terms is expected in its minor uses, and as a
propant. Markets for non-metallurgical alumina are expected to
expand somewhat faster, at about 2.4%py to reach 4.4Mtpy by 2006,
bolstered by demand for cement, chemicals and ceramics.
Natural
Graphite
Read
the definitive report on the global natural graphite
industry,
its markets
and its future
Recovery
in graphite production
China is the principle graphite producer, accounting for
40% of the world’s output during recent years and 50% of
amorphous production in 2000. India is another leading producer,
accounting for 15% of world production over the last decade. The other
majors are Brazil (7%), Mexico (6%) and North Korea (6%) Thus, five
countries account for 75% of world production.
Given
favourable market conditions, production may increase in the future,
particularly from Brazil, Canada, China, India and Mexico. New
production capacity of 120,000tpa could be added, around half of which
could be destined for battery-making. Successful exploration, mine
expansions and company acquisitions are expected to result in
increased graphite output in the coming decade, provided that markets
can be developed to sustain the new production. This new capacity
would replace the “loss” of 100Ktpa flake graphite
production resulting from project failures and expected mine closures.
The
Economics of Feldspar, 2002
Over
the last three decades output of feldspar has increased at an annual
average rate of 6% driven, in the main, by demand from a rapidly
expanding ceramic tile industry.
This is particularly marked in Italy where output of Feldspar
has increased sevenfold over the last 20 years.
Turkish output now exceeds 1Mtpy, compared with 100,000t in
1980, and much of this production is exported to ceramic producers in
Spain and Italy. Other
leading producing countries include China, France, Germany, Thailand
and the USA.
Demand
for feldspar in Asia is largely met from Chinese and Thai sources.
Overall demand is estimated to exceed 2Mtpy of which half is
located in China. The
close relationship between the output of ceramics and construction
activity meant that the industry was particularly badly hit by the
Asian economic crisis in 1997.
In the event the downturn was short lived in many countries and
by 2000 construction activity was rising with a concomitant increase
in demand for feldspar.
In
the meantime, Asian ceramics producers were seeking other markets for
their products and this, together with imports from Latin America and
Europe has put pressure on the US ceramic tile industry and,
consequently, US domestic producers of feldspar.
Glass
is the major market for feldspar and nepheline syenite in North
America but growth in demand for glass making materials is limited by
the increased use of cullet and competition from other packaging
materials.
Growth
in demand for feldspar has slowed and it is unlikely that increases in
output over the next decade will match those for the previous thirty
years. Nevertheless,
rates of construction activity in Asia, the sun belt of the USA, and
Eastern Europe will ensure a sustained demand from the ceramic sector.
The focus of ceramic manufacturing is likely to continue to
move from the older industrialised countries to Latin America and
Asia. Demand for
feldspar in ceramic manufacture is expected to increase at 2-3%pa to
2010 but overall growth rates may be reduced by limited growth in
demand from the glass industry.
Ground
Calcium Carbonate
Read
the definitive report on the global ground calcium carbonate
industry,
its markets and its future
The
Economics of Ground Calcium Carbonate:
World's leading filler mineral
World ground calcium carbonate (GCC) capacity has grown rapidly over
the last 20 years and is now estimated to exceed 50Mt for all grades.
This total includes fine-grained products, which are used as
fillers in paper, plastics and paint, and coarser grades used in
applications such as carpet backing, cultured marble and landscaping.
Expansion in production capacity has been driven by increased
demand for fine-grained GCC in papermaking.
Over the last twenty years the use of all mineral pigments in
paper has grown at 5.3%pa, but GCC in paper has grown at 12%pa.
Roskill estimates that world capacity for fine grades of GCC
exceeded 32Mt in 2001.
The
GCC industry is characterised by concentration of production in the
hands of a few companies.
Ten companies control 75% of the world’s processing
capacity and just one company, Omya, operates more than 50 plants in
nearly 30 countries and accounts for 40% of global capacity.
Currently the majority of production capacity is located in
Western Europe and North America, but the rate of capacity increase is
greatest in Asia. There
are now at least 140 GCC plants in China, where consumption of GCC in
paper has increased from 42,000t in 1995 to at least 700,000t in 2002.
Report on Fluorspar
The
market for fluorspar is somewhat depressed, with increasingly
stringent legislation covering the phase-out of CFCs a major factor.
Growth prospects depend principally on the acceptance of HFCs as a CFC
substitute, which could yield modest increases in consumption to the
year 2000. This in-depth analysis of the market by leading analyst
Roskill offers the reader a mine of useful data, whilst complementary
titles investigate aluminium, bauxite & alumina, magnesium
compounds and soda ash. Extra or more specialised research can be
commissioned through Roskill's consultancy arm.
The
early 1990s has been a difficult time for the fluorspar industry. The
continued fall in the unit consumption of fluorspar in both
steelmaking and primary aluminium smelting has been compounded by a
drop in demand for acid-grade fluorspar in the chemical industry,
following the increasingly stringent legislation covering the
phase-out of CFCs. In the short term the outlook is not much more
optimistic. The aluminium sector is suffering from surplus supply and
rationalisation is still occurring in the steel industry, particularly
in former Easter Europe. Demand for acid-grade fluorspar in CFC will
continue to fall following the acceleration of the phase-out date to
1994. Take up of HFC substitutes has been relatively slow. Growth
could reach 2% per annum in the second half of the 1990s and this
depends largely on the widespread acceptance of HFCs as substitutes
for CFCs and their manufacture could result in the consumption of some
1.16 million tonnes of fluorspar in 2000. There is little danger of a
shortfall in supply since Chinese production capacity for acid-spar
alone stands at 1.64 million tonnes. Despite the depressed market for
fluorspar hopes of recovering have led to plans for new capacity or
mine expansions in Australia, India, Italy, Morocco, Mexico, Turkey
and the USA.
Caterpillar
Inc. donated the 5,000th Caterpillar excavator manufactured in China to
The People’s Government of Beijing Municipality. The Cat 320C
excavator is expected to work in a wide range of construction projects
from now through the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Caterpillar’s
authorized dealer in Beijing, WesTrac China, will provide service
support to keep the excavator in peak working condition throughout
construction.
Screen
plant
Eagle Crusher Co. has packaged its UltraMax 1000-l5CV for low-cost,
high-production of 3/4-in. cubical roadbase product, while meeting the
strict travel requirements of most states. The new UltraMax Power
Package includes a specially designed, open-circuit UltraMax
l000-l5CV, separate 6-ft. x 20-ft. triple-deck screening plant and
stockpile and return conveyors. To handle the additional loads from
the screen and conveyors, the power units for the 1000-15CV in this
package have been increased to a 375-hp diesel engine with a 175 kW
generator.
Eagle Crusher, 800-25-EAGLE, www.eaglecrusher.com
Caterpillar
receives engine certification from EPA September 30, 2002 Pit &
Quarry Caterpillar Inc. has received certification from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency for the company’s on-highway
truck engines manufactured after September 30. The certification will
ensure the availability of Caterpillar’s truck engines after the
EPA emissions deadline of October 1. The EPA certification allows the
sale of Caterpillar engines in 49 states and Canada with no
restrictions for customers who purchase the engines. With this EPA
action, Caterpillar now expects the state of California to complete
the certification of engines by the California Air Resources Board.
Mine
Safety and Health News has learned that parts of MSHA’s
regulation governing explosives and blasting for Metal/Nonmetal may be
invalid due to the agency citing Department of Transportation
regulations that no longer exist. MSHA’s definition of "explosive"
under §56./§57.6000 is "any substance classified as an
explosive by the Department of Transportation in 49 CFR 173.53, 173.88
and 173.100. The problem is that 49 CFR 173.88 and 173.100 no longer
exist, and, according to Roger Prescott from the International Society
of Explosives Engineers, 173.53 is a reference for explosives made
prior to 1991. "At any rate," he says, "MSHA does not
have a definition for explosives."
Lafarge
North America has sold its four concrete plants in the St. Louis area.
Breckenridge Material Co. of Webster Groves purchased Lafarge’s
Eureka, St. Charles and Jefferson County plants. Concrete Resources
Inc. of Columbia, Ill., purchased the company’s plant in
Wentzville. Breckenridge Material Co. reportedly has an annual
capacity of about 200,000 cu. yd. of concrete. Financial terms of the
transactions were not disclosed.
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