Resumen de Feeling the rub: Asian abrasives continue to challenge Western suppliers

Industrial Minerals

• According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), imports of mineral-based, manufactured abrasives from China have had such an overwhelming effect on the North American market that local suppliers have been forced to limit their production. According to BCC Research, no single producer currently commands more than a 5% share of the market. “Car manufacturers and their suppliers use significant quantities of abrasive grains in numerous grinding operations, and [in the energy sector, they are widely used] in the production of gas turbines and wind turbines,” a company spokesman said. First developed in the 1800s, it is used for the fabrication of metal oxides, especially those of silicon and titanium.