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Fluorine-Containing Raw Materials

Fluorine and its compounds are actively used in various industries.

Fluorine is the most active oxidizer in nature (even more so than oxygen). It forms compounds that react with metals and glass. It also has a property useful for industry — lowering the melting point not only of metals, but also of ceramic materials.

Its main source is fluorspar — the mineral fluorite. The second largest source of fluorine, by volume, is by-product extraction during the processing of apatites and phosphorites — phosphate raw materials — for the production of Orthophosphoric acid and mineral fertilizers.

The only natural fluorine-containing mineral, Cryolite, used to be mined in Greenland, but today its natural reserves are depleted. For this reason, artificial synthetic Cryolite is produced.

fluorine-containing raw materials

Fluorspar is consumed by the metallurgical industry, but a particular feature of the technology is that pieces larger than 5 centimeters are required. Pieces of this size are technologically difficult to mine, which is why there is not so much metallurgical-grade fluorspar available.

The second major use is the production of aluminum fluorides and artificial cryolite.

In third place in fluorite consumption is the production of hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. For example, global use of hydrofluoric acid in the chemical industry alone exceeds 650 thousand tons/year. Meanwhile, global consumption of Fluorspar is 4.5 million tons.

In fourth place is production of welding electrodes. For this, sulfur and phosphorus content of less than 0.1% is required.

Fluorine is also used in the following industries:

nuclear power (for fuel enrichment);
Glass and ceramics production;
In cement production;
As an antiseptic in woodworking, mainly sodium fluoride;
In oil production for well treatment.

The leading positions in global consumption belong to China, the USA, and Japan. Of global fluorite mining of 4.5 million tons, China produces 2.5 million tons (as of 2002 data). In second place in production, with 650 thousand tons, is Mexico.

In Russia, up to 190 thousand tons of fluorspar are mined. Russian consumption of fluorine-containing raw materials is about 300 thousand tons per year. About half goes to metallurgy. Of this, aluminum production alone consumes 30%, as well as all secondary fluorine-containing raw materials.

General Market Trends:

— increasing demand in developing countries
— development of processing fluorine-containing waste, together with more technologically advanced production and strengthened environmental protection.

Overall, there is a clear and growing demand for fluorine-containing raw materials both globally and in Russia in particular.

fluorine-containing raw materials

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