Metal Mining

 

 

Industrial Minerals

Construction Materials

National Statistics


Asbestos Barytes Bentonite Clays
Diatomite Feldspar Fluorspar Gypsum
Kaolin Lime Magnesite Perlite
Potash Refractory Clays Salt Silica Sand
Slate Soda Ash Sulphur Talc


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/