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What are the main factors influencing the chromite market?

In recent months, chromium ore prices have risen sharply. What factors primarily influence the chromium ore market? According to available data, 90% of chromium ore is processed into ferrochrome alloys, which serve as raw materials for stainless steel and specialty steels, with stainless steel accounting for the largest share. Approximately 5% of chromium ore is converted into chemical chromium salts, while another 5% is used in the production of refractory materials—chromium ores are employed to manufacture chromite bricks, magnesia‑chromium bricks, and other specialized refractories. As these figures indicate, the refractory industry accounts for only a small portion of chromium ore demand, making it largely dependent on the metallurgical sector. China is a major producer of stainless steel; in recent years, its output has exceeded 50% of global stainless steel production. On the supply side, global chromite reserves are estimated at roughly 12 billion tonnes, concentrated mainly in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Finland, Turkey, and other countries. South Africa holds the largest share, with about 5.5 billion tonnes—nearly half of the world’s total—while Zimbabwe and Kazakhstan each possess around 1 billion tonnes. Together, these three countries account for 93% of the world’s proven reserves. By contrast, China’s chromium resources are extremely limited, concentrated in several remote western regions, including Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. South Africa remains the primary source of China’s chromium ore imports. However, South Africa faces weak transport capacity and high logistics costs: its two main export ports, Durban and Richards Bay, typically receive shipments via rail, yet railway operations have been plagued by persistent issues in recent years, including safety concerns, cable theft, aging infrastructure due to years of inadequate maintenance, insufficient capacity, limited handling equipment, and elevated service fees. Moreover, South Africa grapples with strained electricity supplies and steadily rising tariffs; in 2021, industrial electricity cost RMB 0.455 per kWh, and if rates rise another 20.5% in 2022, the price could reach RMB 0.55 per kWh, erasing any domestic cost advantage. Overall, the chromium ore market is shaped by a complex interplay of supply constraints, production costs, transportation challenges, and demand dynamics, while also being closely tied to geopolitical developments abroad. The refractory industry consumes only a small fraction of the total chromium ore supply, and, owing to environmental concerns related to chromium pollution, sectors such as cement are vigorously pursuing chromium‑free refractories, further reducing the use of chromium ore in this segment.

2022

Where are common amorphous materials typically used?

During steelmaking, in addition to commonly used regularly shaped refractory bricks, clay‑based materials are also employed to fill the gaps between bricks or applied directly during construction, offering a quick and convenient solution. Alternatively, precast mixed‑material components are manufactured to produce irregularly shaped products. Let’s take a look at some of the key types: Slag‑blocking walls and weirs, as well as permeable curtain walls, are primarily used to contain molten slag, redirect the flow of molten steel, extend its residence time, and promote the collision and flotation of inclusions, thereby purifying the steel. They also modify the flow pattern within the tundish, optimizing the flow field, minimizing dead zones, and expanding stable flow regions. These products feature high strength, excellent erosion resistance, superior scour resistance, and strong slag‑blocking performance. Various ladle cover materials are mainly used to seal steel‑holding vessels, preventing heat loss and secondary oxidation. They exhibit outstanding thermal shock resistance, low thermal conductivity, and good insulation properties. Flow stabilizers and impact plates are designed to receive molten steel poured from the ladle, dissipate the kinetic energy of the pouring stream, reduce splashing, and ensure orderly flow, facilitating the efficient flotation and removal of inclusions while mitigating refractory erosion in the pouring zone. These products boast high‑temperature strength, excellent impact resistance, and superior dimensional stability. Base bricks and separator rings are typically used in conjunction with nozzle assemblies to secure the nozzles in place. They offer excellent dimensional stability and resistance to thermal shock. Dry‑mix materials, spray coatings, and coating compounds are applied to the working layer of tundishes, protecting the permanent lining, containing high‑temperature molten steel, and capturing inclusions. These materials are characterized by ease of application, safety and environmental friendliness, long service life, good disintegration properties, and significant steel‑purification effects. Permanent lining castables are primarily used in the permanent lining sections of various steel‑holding vessels, providing structural support to the working layer and reducing heat loss. They feature excellent fluidity, eliminate the need for baking, and offer superior thermal insulation and thermal shock resistance. Blast furnace repair materials are distinguished by their ability to enable automated remote‑controlled mechanical spraying, high strength, and excellent wear resistance. They are widely employed for lining repairs and internal maintenance in large, medium, and small blast furnaces, helping to extend furnace life. Taphole castables serve as the primary material for tapholes—the main channels for transporting molten iron and slag. Classified according to application areas, they include main taphole material, branch taphole material, and slag‑taphole material, each tailored to specific sections of the taphole. These castables exhibit excellent resistance to slag and iron erosion, superior scour resistance, and good thermal shock performance. Heating furnace castables are noted for their excellent thermal shock resistance, high strength, and superior insulation properties. They are mainly applied to the working and insulating layers of heating furnace roofs, walls, and floors. Nickel‑iron rotary kiln castables stand out for their exceptional acid‑alkali resistance, high strength, excellent wear resistance, and good thermal insulation and thermal shock stability. They are primarily used for lining nickel‑iron rotary kilns and other auxiliary components. Desulfurization lance materials are designed for use in molten‑steel pre‑desulfurization systems. Featuring overall robustness, excellent thermal shock resistance, and long service life, they constitute the principal refractory product for molten‑steel injection desulfurization, playing a critical role in reducing sulfur content and producing high‑quality steel. KR stirrers are also utilized in molten‑steel pre‑desulfurization systems. With their robust construction, excellent thermal shock resistance, long service life, and strong resistance to slag and molten‑steel erosion, they represent the primary tool for stirrer‑based desulfurization, significantly contributing to the production of high‑quality steel with reduced sulfur content. Furnace lid materials are mainly applied to the tops of electric arc furnaces and LF refining furnaces. They offer excellent thermal shock resistance, superior resistance to high‑temperature acidic and alkaline gas corrosion, and long service lives. Ladle working‑layer castables are primarily used on the inner walls and bottom of ladle working layers to receive molten steel. These products feature high strength, excellent scour resistance, good slag‑erosion resistance, and favorable thermal stability. Fireclay mortars are employed for laying both working and permanent linings, offering convenient application, strong bonding between bricks, and excellent erosion resistance. Prefabricated ladle bricks are intended for use on ladle inner walls and bottoms, particularly for smelting low‑carbon and ultra‑low‑carbon steels. They exhibit high strength, can withstand the high‑temperature scouring of molten steel, endure the impact of high‑pressure argon‑gas stirring, and demonstrate excellent slag‑erosion resistance along with good thermal stability.

2022

$Transportation challenges in major refractory‑material provinces are gradually easing.$

Transportation challenges in major refractory‑material provinces are gradually easing.

Since the beginning of April, due to the pandemic, many areas in Shanxi Province have experienced highway congestion, truck delays, and disrupted logistics, which have had a noticeable impact on economic and social development as well as on the normal production and daily life of the public. As a major producer of refractory clay and bauxite, Shanxi’s product transportation is critical to ensuring stable supply in the refractory materials industry; its current transport challenges warrant close attention. According to interviews conducted by Refractory Materials Window with several bauxite producers, freight rates from Shanxi to Shandong typically stood at around RMB 120–140 per ton, but have now risen to RMB 220–240 per ton due to pandemic-related disruptions. In addition, the provincial Public Security Department’s Traffic Management Bureau, the Provincial Health Commission, and other relevant departments have formed 11 supervisory teams to conduct special oversight of how cities are implementing the Party Central Committee, the State Council, and the provincial Party committee and provincial government’s directives on ensuring unimpeded flow of goods and services; this effort has been incorporated into the provincial Party committee’s inspection agenda.

2022

$Non-metallic mineral enterprises serving the refractory materials industry need to comprehensively and substantially enhance their performance across all areas.$

Non-metallic mineral enterprises serving the refractory materials industry need to comprehensively and substantially enhance their performance across all areas.

At present, the non‑metallic mineral enterprises that NaiCaiZhiChuang has identified—such as those producing bauxite, pyrophyllite, and graphite—are still at an early stage of primary processing, and there remains a long way to go before their downstream products reach a modern level of development. According to NaiCaiZhiChuang, leading international companies like Omya, Iberica, Sibelco, and BASF have long been global pioneers in the non‑metallic minerals sector; however, they prioritize holistic development and downstream‑demand orientation rather than focusing solely on their own product lines. Take Omya as an example: as a global leader in high‑end calcium carbonate products, it no longer centers on specific products but instead adopts a downstream‑demand‑driven approach, offering customized services across R&D, technical support, manufacturing, supply chain management, and distribution, thereby setting a benchmark for refined industry development. In the refractory materials sector, non‑metallic mining enterprises can, in resource development, design extraction processes and develop specialized, integrated equipment tailored to the geological characteristics of their deposits, covering stages such as mining, crushing, screening, and ore beneficiation. In mineral processing, emphasis should be placed on advanced technologies—including ultrafine grinding, classification, purification, modification, and composite processing—to create highly targeted, reliable, stable, and intelligently automated production processes and dedicated instrumentation. Furthermore, by leveraging their unique product attributes, these companies can forge innovative supply‑chain and after‑sales service models that ensure robust support for downstream applications.

2022

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