Industrial Minerals

Environment

• Malaysia approves Lynas rare earths plant Thursday, February 02, 2012

  Lynas must submit plans for waste disposal, but gets green light for start-up Read More

• USGS reports rise in mineral value in 2011; bucks recession trend Tuesday, January 31, 2012

  Non-metallic sector value up by 3%, led by ilmenite, rutile price rise; soda ash flat Read More

• Industrial Minerals Prices February 2012 February 2012

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• Price Briefing: New Year, new price - minerals respond to fluctuating world markets February 2012

  The start of the year saw many mineral grades increasing in value as producers upped their prices to cope with hikes in energy, freight and tight global market fundamentals Read More

• Exploration key to growing Greek industry February 2012

  Greece is opening its doors to private investment to boost domestic industries. Ananias Tsirambides and Anestis Filippidis discuss the country’s key exploration targets for industrial minerals development Read More

• Afghanistan’s mineral plan February 2012

  With its position at the heart of Central Asia, and significant mineral resources including lithium and rare earths, Afghanistan holds vast potential for attracting private sector investment, Vasili Nicoletopoulos reveals Read More

• People and places February 2012 February 2012

  Gordon Stollery, Canada Fluorspar; Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Solvay; Akiva Mozes, Israel Chemicals; Ron Bryan, Compass Minerals; John A. Clarke, Great Quest Metals; Mario Juarez, Lithium One; Daniel Greenwell, Tronox Read More

• EU report outlines ambitions to recover minerals from waste Tuesday, January 24, 2012

  Implementing full waste legislation could save EU €72bn a year, Commission says Read More

• Diary Dates December 2011 December 2011

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• Foraging for foundry sands December 2011

  Metalcasting consumes vast quantities of industrial minerals – either as foundry sands or additives – which are subsequently landfilled. But simple processing of spent sands can provide a stable and valuable source of secondary foundry materials Read More

• Norra Kärr rare earths December 2011

  Canada-based Tasman Metals Ltd, a mineral exploration and development company focused on strategic metals in the European region, is working on developing its Norra Karr rare earth project in Sweden Read More

• High purity limestone quest December 2011

  Reconnaissance assessments are one of the first steps in identifying new commercial mining projects. Clive Mitchell outlines the British Geological Survey’s recent evaluation of high purity limestone deposits worldwide, including in the Middle East Read More

• End User Focus: Under mineral lock & key November 2011

  As an emerging niche market, carbon capture and storage could bring demand potential for magnesium and calcium oxide-rich industrial minerals Read More

• Managing social & environmental risk November 2011

  Fiona Cessford outlines key environmental and social risks that finance-seeking companies should consider early on in their project development timeline Read More

• EU leads recycling revolution November 2011

  Roadmap could pave the way for global recycling and reuse Read More

• The chemistry behind lithium-ion batteries October 2011

  FMC Lithium explores the wide variety of lithium-based cathode options available to battery manufacturers, the critical material in powering a new generation of EVs Read More

• Serbian lithium under focus October 2011

  Rio Tinto outlines its progress to commercialise lithium production from the newly discovered mineral jadarite Read More

• Qatar to unlock EVs with LNG blueprint October 2011

  Qatar Automotive Gateway to use partnerships to develop its advanced battery sector to position itself for an electric vehicle future Read More

• WTO is no quick fix for rare earths October 2011

  World Trade Organization is no short term solution for rare earth supply crisis Read More

• Rare earth processing 101 October 2011

  Kidela Capital Group examines the processing steps vital to turning rare earths from unusable ore into some of the planet’s most critical materials Read More

• China refocuses on lithium-ion dominance October 2011

  Chinese graphite miners evolve to gain the upper-hand on the Japanese and South Korean lithium-ion battery industries Read More

• Natural graphite faces battle for Li-ion's share October 2011

  Debate continues over whether to use natural flake or synthetic graphite in lithium-ion batteries Read More

• The changing face of graphite trading October 2011

  Graphite trading today is a different game to a decade ago. Increasing Asian competition and new uses has forced change. Industrial Minerals speaks to Klaus Rathberger of European graphite trader Georg H. Luh about today’s trading environment Read More

• Rare earths rising in Australia October 2011

  Industrial Minerals’ Mark Watts speaks to Dr Steven Ward, managing director of leading rare earths developer Arafura Resources, on the complexity of starting new projects, China, and whether today’s heyday is here to stay Read More

• Growing pains October 2011

  COMMENT: Niche industries play catch up with rapid adoption of new technologies, by Jaakko Kooroshy Read More

• What does green mean today? October 2011

  In a world moving towards cleaner economies, industry and governments are all vying for green credentials. But a lack of reliable standards risks preventing the transparency needed to reward the truly green players and delaying the creation of a sustainable mineral supply chain. Luka Erceg of Simbol Materials outlines the roadmap to defining what it means to be green and how that value flows through the supply chain from consumers to mineral producers. Read More

• Vertical integration of yesteryear looms October 2011

  PricewaterhouseCoopers’ UK Mining Leader, Jason Burkitt, looks at the returning trend of vertical integration that is seeing downstream players acquiring strategic raw material sources Read More

• Lithium's long game October 2011

  With the race for lithium slowing, focus is moving to the complex manufacture of the battery raw material lithium carbonate. Industrial Minerals spoke with Rincon Lithium’s general manager Mike Tamlin on why he believes only a fraction of new producers will begin production and how even less will be profitable Read More

• Diary Dates August 2011 August 2011

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• Mineral pricing 101 August 2011

  IM outlines a transparent guide to the opaque world of industrial minerals prices and contracts Read More

• PRICE BRIEFING: Zircon marches on; chromite, graphite and soda ash prices expect H2 boost July 2011

  Market prices for zircon are expected to increase on bullish market fundamentals, market sources told IM, emphasising that “there may be no end in sight”. Read More

• FGD’s solution for pollution July 2011

  END USER FOCUS: New coal-fired power capacity and crackdowns on existing polluting sites continue to lead demand for flue gas desulphurisation and its key mineral consumption Read More

• Mitsubishi considers producing lithium in Chile July 2011

  Mitsubishi Corp. looking to develop a lithium project in Chile to power its new fleet of Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicles (i-MiEV) while Chile In talks to remove Li project ban Read More

• Heavy rare earth prices take off July 2011

  Eu and Dy prices surge three-fold in June as China continued its clampdown on mining operations in the southern provinces. End users take measures to counter cost impact Read More

• Sanab Ltd June 2011

  Sanab entered the rare earths industry a few years ago thanks to growing demand for the material. Gladys Smith, director, discussed with IM about the potential of the RE sector and feminisation of the industry Read More

• Price Briefing: Price boost for boric acid, iodine and rare earths, while antimony falls June 2011

  Prices of antimony trioxide, a key raw material for the production of flame retardants and other chemicals, have softened further in recent weeks within China, in line with antimony metal prices Read More

• Diary Dates June 2011 June 2011

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• People and Places June 2011

  Jonathan Best, Robert Jurd, Gulf Industrials Ltd; Xizhong Shi, Will Randall, Rodinia Lithium; Paul Matysek, Lithium One; Gareth Canham, Eriez Europe; Mineral Logistics BV Read More

• Alternative magnesia sources eyed as Chinese export restrictions continue June 2011

  New and emerging magnesia projects are set to replace volumes shipped from China as the Asian country tightens its exports, according to minerals consultant Ian Wilson. Read More

• Saudi group Ma’aden makes first magnesia shipment to Europe June 2011

  Saudi Arabia’s much evaluated and long-promised source of magnesia has finally come to fruition and is expected to hit the European market in early June. Read More

• China targets low grade boron May 2011

  To meet rising domestic demand China’s borates industry must start to develop its low grade boron resources as high grade reserves become depleted. Yu Yongfu assesses processing techniques to improve grade and recovery. Read More

• Processing: Magnesia upgrade May 2011

  Elias Stamboliadis et al. discuss the processing routes available to upgrade a low quality magnesite ore, including selective calcination and separation Read More

• Magnesia’s phoenix & flyers May 2011

  Rising demand for magnesia amid Chinese supply concerns has ignited optimism and opportunity for eastern European and Middle East players both old and new Read More

• Turkey to become a major soda ash force by 2015 May 2011

  While Turkey’s Eti Soda AS is to commence work on expanding natural soda ash production capacity at Beypazari, 80km north-west of Ankara, its majority partner, Ciner Group has started a major development at the nearby Kazan trona deposit, having recently acquired the reserves from Rio Tinto Plc. Read More

• Li: mine or brine? April 2011

  Continental brine deposits are yet to be rivalled as the lowest cost sources of lithium. But their unpredictable nature has kept open the door to hard rock and other more unique sources in a world concerned with supply security Read More

• Lithium reality check April 2011

  As the era of electric vehicles draws closer, the lithium supply industry is positioning itself for an anticipated boom in demand. But disparities in the various market forecasts mean the future is anything but certain for the growing number of emerging suppliers Read More

• Unique mineral consumer shaken April 2011

  Uncertainty for overseas suppliers to Japan’s markets Read More

• Minerals sector rebukes NIOSH over mineral fibres April 2011

  A fifth and what is claimed the final version of a document that will resonate throughout the US industrial mineral industry, and may have ramifications for mining worldwide, was expected to be published in early 2011 by the USA’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Read More

• Call for US mining to meet resource competition April 2011

  Just what the USA is doing about securing and evaluating key mineral resources in its own back yard is very much the topic of the day, with more than a few experts criticising the government for dragging its heels in this respect Read More

• Japanese earthquake rocks minerals industry April 2011

  The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which hit northern Japan on 11 March marked the country’s worst disaster since the Second World War, causing widespread destruction of houses, industry and infrastructure and leaving more than 20,000 dead or missing Read More