“With only half the year’s bauxite quota to be supplied, now is the right time for the Chinese government to stop its licensing system,” was the opinion of one industry participant, following the news that China has stalled its bauxite tender for the second half of this year – effectively depriving the non-metallurgical (non-met.) bauxite market of 500,000 tonnes of material (see IM July ’09, p.6).
Bauxite is in a sticky situation at present. It is best known as the primary ore for alumina (and thus aluminium) production; however, in its own right bauxite is a valuable industrial mineral.
Bauxite finds applications in abrasives, cement, chemicals, proppants, refractories, slag conditioning, and welding; not to mention the plethora of non-met. applications for alumina grades derived from Bayer alumina. Volume-wise, however, refractory grade is the biggest market for non-met. bauxite.
Depending on aluminium demand, around...