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The Economics of Wollastonite
The outlook for the wollastonite market is optimistic. The pattern of production is set to change significantly in 1997: two new projects will raise capacity by over 250,000 tpy and will turn Mexico and Canada into important producers in world terms. A number of other wollastonite projects are under development around the world and may come into production if demand continues to grow strongly. Production more than doubled between 1986 and 1995, an average annual growth rate of over 10% py. This rate of increase is forecast to continue until at least 2000, driven by growth in the major end-use applications for wollastonite, notably plastics. This report from Roskill analyses all aspects of the wollastonite industry worldwide - production, consumption, markets, trade and prices - and examines the prospects for the next few years.
What the report gives youReport highlights
The largest wollastonite production facility in the world is being developed in Mexico by NYCO Minerals. With a capacity of over 200,000 tpy, it will increase world production capacity by over 30%. Canada's first wollastonite output will come from the project being developed by Orleans Resources, with a capacity of 50,000 tpy, expandable to 85,000 tpy.
China and the USA account for around 75% of the 500,000 tpy world output. Until the new projects start up in Mexico and Canada, the only other significant producing countries are India and Finland.
The fastest growing application for wollastonite is in plastics, which currently account for around 25% of total demand. Production of all plastics has risen by 4% py over the last 10 to 15 years, and this growth should continue. Demand for some resins, however, is forecast to increase at rates of up to 20%.
Producers of wollastonite such as NYCO are hoping to increase its market share in plastics applications and to introduce it into a wider range of resins. Currently it is principally used for the physical properties it brings to the plastics, rather than as a cheap filler material.
Ceramics still account for over 40% of demand, although the sector as a whole is a fairly mature industry and growth rates are relatively modest. It is possible that consumption of wollastonite in ceramics could increase by up to 5% py, driven by countries in Asia where construction and tile production is buoyant.
The Economics of Wollastonite, 6th edition published 01/01/1996
131 pages, 99 tables and 6 figures.
ISBN 0 86214 462 0
Complete report price:
GBP 500
EUR 875
USD 1000
plus postage/packing.