Abstract
What this report gives you:
- Independent, in-depth research and analysis
- Essential market intelligence for successful business planning
- Detailed survey of production and processing in 53 countries, including emerging producers such as Indonesia and The Gambia
- Up-to-date profiles of the activities of 53 zircon producing and processing companies, and potential projects including Iluka Resources, Exxaro Resources and Richards Bay Minerals
- Details of zircon millers and zirconium chemicals producers in China
- Forecasts for end-use consumption and world supply and demand
Continued oversupply forecast for zircon market
Between 2002 and 2005, zircon demand exceeded supply. The shortage of zircon in the market would have continued into 2006 had it not been for the emergence of Indonesia as a major new supplier of zircon, resulting in the market entering a period of oversupply in 2006. However, despite increased production from Indonesia, zircon prices reached almost US$750/t in 2006, almost double those seen in 2002. World consumption of zircon was about 1.25Mt in 2006. With a share of 47%, Asia (including China and Japan) now accounts for just under half of total consumption, mainly reflecting the growth in production of ceramics, but also in refractories and chemicals production, in China. Overall growth in demand is likely to continue at around 3.8%py to reach just over 1.5Mt by 2011. Several new zircon-producing mineral sands projects have come on line during the first half of 2007 and several more are anticipated for 2008 and 2009, encouraged by the recent shortage of, and high prices for, zircon. Despite overall growth in production of only around 4.0%py to 2011, the impact of these new zircon-producing projects is that the oversupply observed during 2006 will continue and could reach more than 400kt in 2009. Prices are therefore forecast to decline to around US$450/t by 2011.
Report Highlights
The use of zircon in the manufacture of synthetic zirconia and zirconium chemicals has shown the fastest growth of all segments, 7%py, and now amounts to around 150ktpy. The main stimulus in this market has been the increased demand for zirconium products in coatings and catalysts and the production of synthetic zirconia to replace diminished supplies of baddeleyite.
The last three decades have seen a major shift in the global distribution of zircon production. In the 1970s Australia accounted for at least 50% of total output, while South Africa was then only a very minor producer. The development of the Richards Bay beach sands operation in the late 1970s made South Africa the second-largest producer of zircon worldwide. That position was reinforced with the start-up of the Namakwa Sands mine in 1995, and by the commencement of operations by Ticor in 2001. Today, Australia and South Africa account for 66% of total supply, with the USA and Indonesia providing much of the rest.
Concentration of zircon production continues at a corporate level. In 2006 the ten largest producers had a combined output of just over 1.1Mt, about 80% of the world total. Production is dominated by four companies: Iluka Resources, with operations in Australia and the USA; Rio Tinto and BHPBilliton, which jointly own Richards Bay Minerals in South Africa; and Exxaro Resources, which owns Namakwa Sands in South Africa and ultimately controls the Ticor operations in both South Africa and Australia. Those three corporate groups effectively control about three quarters of the world' s zircon supply.
Although some of the new projects around the world are aimed principally at compensating for falling output from existing operations, others represent entirely new supply, such as Matilda Minerals' Tiwi Islands project in Australia, Kenmare' s Moma project in Mozambique, Carnegie' s project in The Gambia and Sierra Rutile' s Gbangbama project. Australian Zircon' s Mindarie project is also fast approaching commercial production. Although such projects are unlikely to reach their full capacity during 2007, in total they represent around 250kt of new zircon supply. This additional supply, combined with production from Indonesia and other projects in various stages of development, is all contributing to a forecast sustained period of oversupply in the zircon market.
Table of Contents
1 Summary
2 Zirconium mineralogy, occurrence and reserves
- Zirconium mineralogy
- Occurrence of zirconium
- World reserves of zirconium
3 Zircon mining refining and grades
- Zircon grades
- Zircon mining and processing
- Zirconia production processes
- Zirconium metal production processes
- Zirconium chemicals production process
4 World production and processing of zirconium minerals
- Production of zirconium minerals
- Outlook for the production of zircon
- Production of processed zircon
5 Production and processing of zirconium minerals by country
Details of reserves, production, producers and processors of zirconium, and potential projects in each of the following countries, where applicable:
Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; Chile; China; Denmark; Egypt; Falkland Islands; France; The Gambia; Germany; Greenland; Guinea; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mongolia; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; The Netherlands; New Zealand; Pakistan; Poland; Russia; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sweden; Tanzania; Taiwan; Thailand; UK; Ukraine; Uruguay; USA; Vietnam;
Profiles of over 70 zircon and zirconium producing and processing companies, including:
Iluka Resources Ltd; Matilda Minerals Ltd; Olympia Resources Ltd; Australian Zirconia Ltd; Exxaro Resources; Mineral Sands Ltd; Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd; Tiomin Resources; Richards Bay Minerals; Sierra Rutile Ltd; E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co; BHP Titanium Minerals; And more...
6 International trade in zirconium
- International trade in zirconium ores and concentrates
- International trade in zirconia
- International trade in zirconium metal
7 Consumption of zircon, zirconia and zirconium metal
- Consumption of zircon by region
- Consumption of zircon by end use
- Consumption of zirconia
- Consumption of zirconium metal
- Outlook for consumption of zircon, zirconia and zirconium metal
8 Use of zircon and zirconia in traditional ceramics
- Use of zircon in opacifiers
- Use of zirconia in stains and pigments
- Production of whitewares
- Consumption of zircon in ceramics
9 Use of zircon and zirconia in refractories
- Zircon and zirconia-based refractory materials
- Applications of zircon and zirconia-based refractories
- Consumption of zircon and zirconia in refractories
10 Use of zircon in foundry sands
- Casting methods
- Competing materials
- World production of castings
- Trends in demand for zircon in foundry sands
11 Uses of zirconium chemicals
- Pigment coating
- Paints
- Surface coating
- Metal coating
- Antiperspirants
- Leather tanning
- Textile industry
- Oil and gas industry
- Catalysts
- Competing materials
- Outlook for zirconium chemicals
12 Use of zircon and zirconia in glass
- Use of zircon in cathode ray tube (CRT) glass
- Use of zircon in other glasses
13 Use of zirconia in advanced ceramics
- Zirconia ceramics
- The market for advanced ceramics and consumption of zirconia
14 Use of zircon and zirconia in abrasives
- Producers of fused zirconia abrasives
- Consumption of zircon in abrasives
15 Use of zirconium metal and alloys
- Zirconium use in nuclear energy
- Zirconium use in industrial process plants
- Zirconium use in photographic flash bulbs
- Other zirconium alloys
16 Zircon and zirconium products prices
- Zircon sand prices
- Zircon flour and opacifier prices
- Baddeleyite prices
- Zirconia prices
- Zirconium metal prices
- Outlook for zircon and zirconium products prices
