Industrial Minerals

Features

• Rare Earth Special: China’s rare earth revolution

  As China continues to defy international pressure to ease its rare earths supply restrictions, IM considers how the country’s policy initiatives are changing the face of its internal industry. Read More

• Rare Earth Special: Projects in the Pipeline: Rare earths light up global markets

  Turbulence continued to dominate the rare earths industry throughout 2012 as the majority of global supply remained under China’s lock and key. Export quota restrictions remained firmly in place during the past 12 months, as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) reduced export limits by 27% year-on-year for the first half of 2012 and withheld quotas from more than 20 Chinese companies. Read More

• Rare Earth Special: “China will continue to lead conversation in rare earths”

  Metal Events and Roskill Information Services discuss key issues in the market ahead of industry conference Read More

• Burning up: Refractory clays face an unclear future

  In the aftermath of a global economic crisis which refuses to wane, all eyes are on refractories and the industries which support them. For refractory clays — the name given to a group of specific grades of calcined kaolin, fireclay, chamotte and flint clay — however, the outlook is more positive, in the long run at least. Read More

• Fracking in Europe: the potential and the pitfalls

  Could shale gas provide the answer to global energy concerns? There are vast untapped resources in Europe, but fracking, the controversial method of extraction, could prove to be the stumbling block as Vasili Nicoletopoulos* explains Read More

• Price Briefing: Graphite end users feel the pinch as demand stutters

  Prices for all grades of flake graphite from key producing regions in the world are stabilising, new information from IM Data has shown. Read More

• Industrial Minerals Prices November 2012

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Supply Developments

• Iluka Resources’ production drops as minsands market remains weak

  Iluka Resources Ltd saw its overall zircon, rutile, and synthetic (syn) rutile production drop 34.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) for Q3 2012. Read More

• SQM lithium tender declared invalid

  On 24 September, the Chilean government announced that it had awarded lithium leader SQM with a licence to develop a maximum of 100,000 tonnes of lithium reserves in the country over 20 years. Read More

• Financing mining in testing times: a view from the buy-side

  Securing financing in the mining sector is a much harder task than it was four years ago, delegates heard at a mining conference held in London at the end of September. Read More

• German solar company begins lithium exploration

  Vertically-integrated photovoltaics manufacturer SolarWorld has begun lithium exploration at a previously-mined deposit in Saxon Zinnwald, Germany. Read More

• How healthy is refractory grade graphite supply?

  Buyers of refractory-grade graphite face an uncertain future after a combination of production issues together with increased demand competition have come into play at the same time. Read More

• Monetary easing lifts mineral markets

  The US and Europe have launched huge monetary easing programmes in an attempt to stimulate stagnant economic growth and protect fragile signs of recovery. Read More

• Squaring up to tougher global legislation - how to comply

  When the EU System on REACH came into force in 2007, it placed responsibility for the safe delivery and use of chemicals firmly onto the shoulders of the industry Read More

Comment

• The importance of China

  On the cover of IM’s November edition readers will see a shot of Hong Kong, its sky alight with lasers, neon lights - and prosperity. The city, which this month plays host to conferences in two of the most bullish and volatile mineral markets, rare earths Read More

Market Monitor

• Halloysite: Nanotubes for life science applications

  Mineral products developed from natural resources are widely used in a variety of life science (LS) applications including cosmetics, food, medical devices, drugs and animal food. Read More

Strandlines

• “Most titanium dioxide capacity expansions took place in China in 2011”

  The titanium and zircon industries underwent dramatic transformations in 2011, spurred by record prices and tightening of supplies across the value chain. Read More

• Market softness only temporary, say leading pigment producers

  The market weakness that has dogged titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments for most of 2012 is only temporary, was the over-riding message from the industry during October. Read More

Processing

• Haver & Boecker woven FFS bags to "change the way people ship"

  Oelde is home to global processing and logistics equipment specialist Haver & Boecker. Read More

Logistics News

• All dried up? Dry bulk shipping markets in difficult position

  The four years leading up to the London Olympic Games in London are indicative of the perfect storm facing the dry bulk shipping markets: falling demand, high supply growth and increasing bunker prices Read More

People & Places

• People and places: November 2012

  Jeff Dawkins speaks to IM about his new role as CFO of Peak Resources Read More

Refractories Hotline

• Refractory market to reach $40bn by 2018, according to report

  The global market for refractories is set to reach $40.4bn in revenues by 2018, according to a new report released in October. Read More

Company Profile

• Talk from the Top: “There will be future demand for high purity vein graphite”

  D. Kalansooriya, chairman of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Ltd (KGLL), talked to IM about expectations for growth in the vein graphite market in Sri Lanka Read More