Resumen de Ringfenced: : Will traditional lithium users be left behind?
Industrial Minerals
With almost every new and established lithium producer choosing to focus on supplying the lucrative battery market, Rose Pengelly, IM Correspondent, looks at whether traditional industrial lithium consumers in the glass and ceramics industries risk being left behind. by Rose Pengelly But while the surge in lithium consumption by the batteries sector has pushed up prices and made it economical for new mines to open and existing producers to expand production, the rush to supply the lucrative battery market could leave users of industrial grade lithium, also referred to as technical grade lithium, undersupplied, or facing unsustainably high prices for what was until recently a fairly inexpensive raw material. According to IM 's Global Lithium Market: Five Year Strategic Outlook Study, batteries currently account for around 35% of lithium consumption worldwide, with frits and ceramics the second largest market at 31%. Lithium carbonate is used in glazes and bodies of glass and ceramics, to impart a range of physical and performance benefits such as increased thermal stability, improved mechanical and tensile strength, lower absorption, chip and chemical attack resistance, reduced shrinkage and better energy efficiency in the manufacturing process. Speaking at an industry event in London in March, Andrew Barber, Orocobre's head of investor relations, said that the company's main focus is on supplying the growing battery market. New supply The surge in lithium prices last year, which has been widely credited to Chinese policies promotin
