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Fluorspar
Fluorspar is the commercial name for the mineral fluorite. Found in a
variety of geologic environments, the fluorspar is used to make
hydrogen fluoride, an intermediate for fluorocarbons, aluminium
fluoride, and synthetic cryolite. It is also used as a flux in the
steel and ceramic industries, in iron foundry and ferroalloy
manufacture, and has many minor specialised uses.
The pure fluorspar contains theoretically 51,1% calcium and 48,9%
fluorine and is colourless.
Commercial fluorspar contains attached mineral impurities such as
calcite, quartz, barites, celestine, various sulphides or phosphates.
These varieties of impurities give fluorite a rainbow of different
colours, including green, purple, blue, yellow, pink, brown, and black.
Production of Fluorspar
tonnes
| |
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008 |
| Europe |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bulgaria |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| France |
105.000
|
110.000
|
80.000
|
50.000
|
40.000 |
| Germany |
33.203
|
35.364
|
53.009
|
54.359
|
48.519 |
| Italy |
17.915
|
15.000
|
15.000
|
15.000
|
15.000 |
| Romania |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Russia |
17.000
|
17.000
|
21.000
|
18.000
|
26.900 |
| Spain |
146.694
|
144.126
|
144.845
|
137.310
|
148.750 |
| Turkey |
880
|
800
|
800
|
900
|
800 |
| United Kingdom |
50.080
|
56.417
|
49.676
|
44.936
|
36.801 |
| total |
370.772
|
378.707
|
364.330
|
320.505
|
316.770
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Africa |
|
|
|
|
|
| Egypt |
490
|
500
|
500
|
550
|
470 |
| Kenya
|
117.986
|
109.594
|
132.030
|
85.115
|
130.100 |
| Morocco |
112.100
|
114.740
|
103.300
|
78.800
|
56.724 |
| Namibia |
104.767
|
114.886
|
132.249
|
118.766
|
118.000 |
| South Africa |
235.000
|
230.000
|
246.000
|
282.000
|
295.000 |
| Tunisia |
930
|
950
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| total |
571.273
|
570.670
|
614.079
|
565.231
|
600.294
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| America |
|
|
|
|
|
| Argentina |
5.400
|
6.962
|
8.278
|
9.735
|
15.098 |
| Brazil
|
53.032
|
66.512
|
64.000
|
66.000
|
65.700 |
| Colombia |
840
|
830
|
820
|
800
|
800 |
| Mexico |
842.698
|
875.450
|
936.400
|
933.400
|
1.057.649 |
| United States |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| total |
901.970
|
949.754
|
1.009.498
|
1.009.935
|
1.139.247
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Asia |
|
|
|
|
|
| Afghanistan |
1.700
|
2.000
|
2.200
|
1.500
|
1.000 |
| China |
2.700.000
|
2.700.000
|
2.750.000
|
3.200.000
|
3.250.000 |
| DPR Korea |
20.000
|
12.500
|
12.500
|
12.500
|
12.500 |
| India |
14.008
|
5.577
|
2.785
|
3.583
|
2.201 |
| Iran |
54.051
|
64.601
|
65.000
|
65.000
|
65.000 |
| Kazakhstan |
73.000
|
71.000
|
70.000
|
0
|
0 |
| Kyrgyzstan |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| Mongolia |
288.500
|
327.100
|
347.700
|
354.900
|
335.000 |
| Pakistan |
1.026
|
1.050
|
1.050
|
0
|
0 |
| Russia |
153.000
|
153.000
|
170.000
|
162.000
|
242.100 |
| Thailand |
2.375
|
2.950
|
3.240
|
1.820
|
29.529 |
| Uzbekistan |
86.000
|
85.000
|
88.000
|
80.000
|
80.000 |
| Vietnam |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
| total |
3.393.660
|
3.424.778
|
3.512.475
|
3.881.303
|
4.017.330
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| World total |
9.202.608
|
9.319.357
|
9.626.936
|
5.776.974
|
6.073.641
|
World Mine Production and
Reserves for 2002 and 2003
tonnes
| |
Mine
Production
|
|
| |
2002
|
2003
(1)
|
Reserve
(3)
|
| USA |
0
|
0
|
NA
|
| China |
2.450.000
|
2.450.000
|
21.000.000
|
| France |
105.000
|
110.000
|
10.000.000
|
| Kenya |
98.000
|
100.000
|
2.000.000
|
| Mexico |
650.000
|
630.000
|
32.000.000
|
| Mongolia |
200.000
|
190.000
|
12.000.000
|
| Morocco |
96.000
|
95.000
|
NA
|
| Namibia |
81.000 (2)
|
85.000 (2)
|
3.000.000
|
| Russia |
200.000
|
200.000
|
Moderate
|
| South Africa |
227.000
|
240.000
|
41.000.000
|
| Spain |
130.000
|
125.000
|
6.000.000
|
| Other countries |
310.000
|
320.000
|
110.000.000
|
| World
total |
4.550.000
|
4.540.000
|
230.000.000
|
Notes:
(1) Estimated
(2) Data are in wet tonnes
(3) Measured as 100% calcium
fluoride
NA: Not available
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral
Commodities Summaries, January 2004 - http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/
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