Magnesia production hubs in China are continuing their efforts to reduce negative environmental impact, while domestic magnesia prices firm and export prices hold steady on low demand.

Following China’s closure of companies in the Dashiqiao magnesia production hub that failed to meet environmental standards and the Haicheng government’s progress in consolidating the magnesia industry in early September, the Dashiqiao and Haicheng governments have been stepping up efforts to improve local air conditions to make them comply with Beijing’s environmental targets.

Officials from the Dashiqiao and Yingkou governments held a conference with local refractory companies on September 14 to establish improved emission standards for air pollutants in the magnesia-based refractory industry. Local companies should strictly follow the production standards.

Meanwhile, the Haicheng government has started a new round of environmental inspections in the local area, which will last one month from September 18 to October 19.

During this round of inspections, some magnesia companies in Haicheng and Dashiqiao have chosen to stop production and upgrade equipment to meet the new standards for inspection, leading to reduced supply in the spot market. With mining restrictions still in place, domestic Chinese magnesia prices have firmed again, and some producers have even started to increase prices for magnesia, especially fused magnesia (FM) and dead-burned magnesia (DBM), though this has not affected market prices yet.

«China’s magnesia prices will not fall further, or even increase in a small range, due to the recent conference and new round of environmental inspections. Dead burned magnesia prices will be influenced more as more producers might stop production due to the inspections in Haicheng. Meanwhile export prices are temporarily standing still as demand from buyers remains quiet,» an exporter in Dalian told Industrial Minerals.

Industrial Minerals’ latest price assessments showed the fob China price of magnesia, fused, 97% MgO (Ca:Si 2:1) was at $1,250-1,350 per tonne on September 18, flat with previous week. Industrial Minerals’ assessment for the fob China price of DBM, 90% MgO lumpwas at $220-260 per tonne on September 18, also unchanged from the previous week.

INFORMED’s Mineral Recycling Forum 2018 took place at hte Radisson Blu, Cologne/DE, 15-16 March 2018, where international delegates networked and discussed the latest trends and developments in recycling steel waste, refractories, foundry chromite sand, salt, and fly ash. The conference was preceded by a well-attended and quite exceptional one-day tour of recycling leader Horn & Co. Group’s facilities at Weitefeld, Hunsborn, and Siegen (all Germany). Delegates were able to see first hand how steel and refractory waste was expertly sorted (by both hand and Laser Based Sensor System (LIBS), crushed, sized, and packaged ready for customer delivery. Of particular interest was the state-of-the-art analytical laboratory at Hunsborn as well as the operational LIBS unit at Siegen.

Del 11 al 14 de marzo tuvo lugar en Sevilla la II Edición del curso de Ingeniería de Refractarios, curso impartido íntegramente por y para asociados de ANFRE. Nuestra intención con estos cursos es formar a las nuevas generaciones de trabajadores de nuestras empresas para poder  contar con un sector ampliamente cualificado.

El curso, al igual que la edición anterior, ha sido un gran éxito tanto de quórum como de expectativas tanto de los alumnos como de la organización. Los participantes han valorado muy positivamente su experiencia y desde ANFRE  nos complace encontrarnos con participantes altamente preparados y motivados.

Es este un curso en el que se combina la formación teórica con la práctica, pretendiendo de este manera que el  alumno puede obtener una visión global del sector. En esta ocasión hemos visitado las siguientes empresas, empresas a las que queremos agradecerles el apoyo y la colaboración que nos han prestado:

• Siderúrgica Sevillana
• Refractarios Alfran

Los temas que se han tratado en el curso han sido los siguientes:

• Materiales refractarios
• Introducción al Diseño de Revestimientos
• Aplicación de Refractarios
• Secado, calentamiento y enfriamiento
• Seguridad y Control de Calidad.

Como hemos comentado anteriormente estos temas han sido preparados e impartidos por empresas asociadas a Anfre.

Desde Anfre  queremos dar las gracias una vez más a las siguientes empresas, sin ellas el curso no hubiera sido posible:

• Insertec
• Arciresa
• Morgan Advanced Materials
• Deguisa
• Dominion Global S.A
• Teide Refractory Solutions
• Calderys Ibérica Refractarios S.A
• Técnicas de Refractarios S.A.U
• Reyma, Materiales Refractarios
• Gerfor S.A
• Refractarios Alfran S.A
• Prevencoor

Estas empresas han colaborado o bien realizando el temario del libro o bien impartiendo las ponencias. Gracias de corazón por vuestro tiempo, esfuerzo y pasión.

Por último, desde Anfre, queremos hacer una mención especial al Comité de Montadores y sobre todo a su responsable Dolores Cagigas, por hacer posible proyectos como este, proyectos que nos hacen crecer y mejorar como asociación.

Igualmente agradecer la disponibilidad absoluta de nuestro Presidente, Roberto Caballero.

Nos vemos en el siguiente curso.

El pasado 26 de Febrero tuvo lugar en la sede de ANFRE en Madrid las reuniones de la Junta Directiva, la Asamblea General Ordinaria y los distintos comités que forman la asociación, Comité de Montadores y Comité Técnico.

Al tratarse de las primeras reuniones del año se ha prestado especial atención a la preparación de los presupuestos para el 2019, a las cuotas a abonar  por parte de los asociados al igual que a los próximos eventos que se llevaran a cabo, el más próximo es la realización de la II Edición del Curso de Ingeniería de Refractarios, que tendrá lugar del 11 al 14 de Marzo en Sevilla.

Hemos contado con la participación de Carlos Martí, Secretario General de Confevicex, el cual nos ha ofrecido una charla sobre el XXI Convenio Colectivo del Vidrio y la Cerámica. Charla que nos ha parecido muy interesante ya que nos ha informado sobre las novedades y modificaciones del mismo.

Una vez finalizadas las distintas reuniones del día hemos podido relajarnos en la comida ofrecida por ANFRE, comida en la que se intenta no solo hablar del mundo del refractarios sino poder llegar a conocernos un poco mejor.

Una vez más agradecer a todos los asistentes a las reuniones su colaboración, sin todos vosotros ANFRE no sería posible.

Nos vemos en Junio.

Brown fused and white fused alumina prices have increased, offsetting yuan-related depreciation, while the price of refractory grade bauxite 88% ticked up on continued production issues in Shanxi.

Fused alumina and bauxite markets appreciated at the start of September due to continued supply problems within China, which have prompted concerns for supply in the fourth quarter.

Some fused alumina and calcined bauxite prices had softened in August owing mainly to the devaluation of the yuan against the dollar and the euro. But early September assessments are showing upward movement once again.

Both brown fused and white fused alumina as well as some calcined bauxite grades have risen in the latest assessments.

Industrial Minerals assessed the price of refractory grade brown fused alumina(BFA) at $750-780 per tonne fob China on September 6, up from $730-750 per tonne on August 23.

The price of abrasive grade BFA rose on the low end of the range to $870-890 per tonne fob China on September 6 from $850-890 per tonne earlier.

Availability issues have been supporting BFA prices through August, while the weaker yuan was having a bearish effects on some calcined bauxite prices.

Industrial Minerals assessed the price of white fused alumina (WFA) at €790-830 ($920-967) per tonne cif Europe on September 6, up from €740-830 per tonne on August 23.

The increase on the low end of the range reflects higher prices out of China, while western European suppliers have maintained levels on the high end of the range.

«Chinese prices surged because of a shift in demand towards China as the talk of US sanctions towards [Russian alumina supplier] Rusal came up again,» one distributor in Europe said.

«Buyers want to make sure they can get the material no matter what, as the fourth quarter looks to be very busy for refractories orders,» one trader added.

Bauxite

Concerns of low availability have also prompted an uptick in high-purity calcined bauxite 88% prices so far in September, while lower-purity grades have remained stable.

Industrial Minerals assessed the refractory grade bauxite 88% price at $490-500 per tonne fob Xingang, compared with $470-490 per tonne the fortnight before.

The increase is thought to be related to recent issues with production in China’s leading bauxite province, Shanxi.

The majority of calcination operations in the province have been stopped since the second half of August, although details on specific timelines have been inconsistent. Some participants reported a stoppage to kilns in Shanxi has been in place since August 20, although others claim many plants had not been operating for a couple of weeks before that.

Additionally, fused alumina producers in Henan province said that they could not source new calcined bauxite feedstock for their processing, due to the issues in Shanxi and competition with international sales. Instead, it is understood fused alumina producers had been resorting to stockpiles.

Meanwhile, the price of calcined bauxite 87% has remained stable at $450-470 per tonne fob Xingang on August 23.
Similarly, the price of calcined bauxite 86% has held at $420-440 per tonne fob Xingang [LINK] and the price of calcined bauxite 85% remained firm at $410-420 per tonne fob Xingang.