Industrial Minerals

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FOCUS: Why is Chinese steel output growth failing to support sluggish refractories demand?

Thursday, 17 October 2019

Increasing output from China’s domestic steel industry has not brought strong demand for refractory materials, with prices under mounting pressure.
UNITECR 2019: ‘Hand-to-mouth’ raw material sourcing will be norm in 2020, sellers warn

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

The bearish phase of the commodity cycle and weak end-user markets will mean consumers of raw materials will only source only as much as they are sure to use in the short term.
Vesuvius forecasts falling FY profits on weaker steel market

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Demand for refractory and foundry equipment in Europe is sagging due to a "challenging market environment" in steel, Vesuvius says.
UNITECR 2019: Opaque China prospects affecting planning ability for refractories industry – delegates

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

The supply chains of refractory raw materials as well as finished products could be drastically affected by China’s economic performance and political stance, but refractories operators lament a lack of visibility for strategy planning.

Refractory grade fused alumina prices move slightly as market mulls direction

Friday, 18 October 2019

Uncertainties over the end-user refractories market, in China in particular, are inhibiting the long-term plans of market participants, sources told Industrial Minerals this week.
Refractory-grade bauxite, fused alumina supply shortage continues

Monday, 23 September 2019

Refractory-grade bauxite and fused alumina prices remained relatively stable amid supply disruptions caused by Beijing’s environmental efforts and dampened demand from end users.
Weak demand to weigh on China’s bauxite, fused alumina exports

Friday, 13 September 2019

China’s shipments of refractory-grade bauxite to the international markets was lower year-on-year in July on slow demand from global buyers and disrupted supply within the country.
Calcined alumina prices drop on high availability for rest of year

Monday, 09 September 2019

Prices for ground and medium soda material have dropped in quarterly and half-yearly contracts, but the prices for both brown and white fused alumina have ticked up slightly.

'You need a clear vision of your goal, but also a bit of luck'

Friday, 30 August 2019

When Erik Zobec launched Seven Refractories at the height of the eurozone crisis, few would have believed the company would go on to become one of the world’s leading monolithics producers. As Seven approaches 10 years in business, he talks to Ross Davies about its ascent.
Brick by brick: Building an international refractory maintenance company

Friday, 30 August 2019

US-based Bricking Solutions has been in the refractories kiln maintenance business for more than 50 years and has been led by managing director Heather Harding since January 2019. She shares her views on the business she runs and the wider refractories industry.
Steely determination: The revival of India’s refractories sector

Friday, 30 August 2019

Indian refractories output rebounded in 2018, after three successive years of decline. Sunder Singh analyzes what was behind the shift in the industry’s fortunes and hears reasons for both optimism and consternation, from some of the market’s key participants.
Will the Chinese supply crisis continue during the Year of the Pig?

Thursday, 31 January 2019

Refractories bounced back in 2018, driving demand for bauxite and alumina raw materials, but the market continues to face what is becoming a perennial state of crisis affecting supply from China.