Industrial Minerals

Features

• Fluorspar forging ahead

  Metspar and acidspar demand bolstered by healthy outlook for aluminium and steel Read More

• Forgotten fertiliser

  As government attention turns to kick starting shattered economies, global food security and the role of fertiliser minerals is put on the back burner Read More

• North Africa builds its minerals’ future

  Even though the global downturn has slowed growth, North Africa is looking forward to realising its phosphate and other mineral resources Read More

• Minerals meet in Miami heat

  March sees the great and the good of the industrial minerals world descend on the Sunshine State, as Miami hosts the 20th Industrial Minerals International Congress & Exhibition. Here we preview some of the key topics that will enable delegates to assess the latest trends and developments in the ever-changing international industrial minerals business Read More

• Turkey feeds Amcol’s Europe ambition

  New Turkish mine becomes ‘powerhouse’ of Amcol Minerals Europe as the bentonite mining and processing group gains security from consumer related products Read More

• END USER FOCUS: Solar cell future for minerals

  In the manufacturing process and in cell components, minerals play a vital role in this growing market Read More

Supply Developments

• TOP STORIES: Minelco’s Seqi olivine closes after just 5 years

  World no.2 producer to close mine; Market loses 2m. tpa capacity; New olivine supplier sought Read More

• TOP STORIES: Workers’ lock-out hits US Borax

  Union rejects new contract; Borates output down 31% in 2009 Read More

• TOP STORIES: Russia to start magnesium hydroxide production

  Nikochem j-v with Rusnano; Nano Mg(OH)2 pilot plant 2011; Russian flame retardant market growth Read More

• TOP STORIES: POSCO & Eramet up lithium activity

  Lithium seen as industrial ‘growth engine’; POSCO eyes seawater source; Eramet plans lithium buyout; Bolivia on back burner Read More

• TOP STORIES: Vertical integration drives M&A activity

  Metals groups search for next big profits; Huge deals grip fertiliser industry; $350m. for fluorspar source Read More

• TOP STORIES: Molycorp to reopen Mountain Pass RE mine

  20,000 tpa REO by 2012; Oxides, metals, & magnets; Green applications targeted Read More

• TOP STORIES: Brunner Mond adjusts to new dawn

  Netherlands plant closure absorbs loss of demand; Europe feels pressure from new US tonnages; Soda ash prices fall €30/tonne Read More

• TOP STORIES: South Africa rejoins wollastonite supply

  Namaqua to start up April 2010; Targets 23,000 tonnes for 2014; New world class producer? Read More

• SUPPLY SITUATION REPORT: Graphite

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Comment

• IM’s evolution continues

  Magazine redesign complements development of indmin.com Read More

Market Monitor

• Ceramics enter “exhaustive” recovery period

  Recovery to follow construction market; Italian ceramics sector down 29.2%; But 4.4% pa growth forecast for US tiles Read More

Strandlines

• Price fixing allegations rock TiO2

  DuPont, Huntsman, Kronos, Millennium & Cristal accused; Anti-trust class action filed over 2001 Finland meeting; Haley Paint Co. seeks three-fold damages Read More

• Nordic eyes pigment plant consolidation benefits

  Strongest TiO2 growth expected in China; Fewer and larger plants in Europe; 100,000 tpa Norway rutile 2014 start-up Read More

Diary Dates

• Diary Dates: March 2010

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Processing

• SCC’s paper performance

  CalciTech outlines paper sludge’s role as a new source of synthetic calcium carbonate for the paper market Read More

• Kaolin’s green dream

  Atil Parikh of 20 Microns discusses the company’s calcined kaolin operations and new target markets for environmental products Read More

Exposure

• Williston salt and potash

  Dakota Salts LLC, focused on the exploitation of large salt deposits in Canada but with a post mining new energy-environmental benefit angle, works on a twofold project: exploration and extraction of salt and potash, and the creation of caverns for the storage of natural gas and other hydrocarbons Read More

People & Places

• People and places

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Refractories Hotline

• Asian steel growth led by China

  Chinese steel output up 13.5%; Chinese refractory mineral exports down 58% Read More

Trading Faces

• Technografit GmbH

  Germany’s Technografit GmbH is a major importer of natural flake graphite into Europe. Dominik Georg Luh, managing director, spoke to IM about the emergence of India, Brazil and Africa as potential markets and growing market applications such as fuel cells Read More