Feeling the heat: : Bauxite and alumina under pressure

• Autores: Davide Ghilotti
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 599, 2018 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Febrero )
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The weak performance of global steel markets, and related sluggish demand for refractories, ensured that prices for both refractory grade bauxite and fused alumina remained weak and supply abundant, along with that of other refractory minerals. The measures taken included forcing operations that relied on coal-based energy to switch to natural gas; installing dust control, desulfurization and waste discharge systems, among others. Other calcined bauxite grades performed in an analogous way: 86% material rose to $470-480 per tonne fob China by year-end from $280-300 per tonne in April 2017 (+64%); 87% grade increased by 57% to $490-500 per tonne fob China by December; 88% grade material rose by 48% to $500-520 per tonne fob China in the same period. Since mid-summer, availability of high purity grades - especially 87% and 88% - was reported as extremely limited. Alumina hydrate In the alumina trihydrate (ATH) space, market participants active in the United States have reported bullish driving forces, as several suppliers are seeking to put through price increases on 2018 contracts