China Fluorite Export Trade Guide

Author: Chief Editor: Zhao Junlei et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-10
Features:
Content Summary This book is a practical guide on the export trade of fluorspar. It focuses on the current development status of China's fluorspar industry since the 1980s, elaborating in detail on the industrial uses of fluorspar, industrial standards, an overview of global fluorspar resources, fluorspar production and world trade, China's fluorspar production and export volume, and the international trade market for fluorspar. It particularly introduces the characteristics of China's fluorspar export trade and related issues in fluorspar export business, such as fluorspar export quota bidding. The book also lists the latest data on China's fluorspar reserves, production, consumption, trade structure, and sales prices, as well as the basic conditions for developing fluorspar deposits. The book is accompanied by numerous charts and important policy documents, making it a comprehensive reference for fluorspar export trade. It is suitable for professionals in foreign trade and economic export, mining development research, and can also serve as a reference for researchers and educators in scientific research, teaching, and economic fields.
Excerpt:
Chapter Industrial Uses of Fluorspar Fluorspar is an indispensable auxiliary material for economic and industrial development. After World War II, due to the growth of the steel industry, the demand and consumption of fluorspar increased at an astonishing rate. The steel industry became the largest user of fluorspar. With the advancement of science and technology, starting from the 1980s, fluorspar found increasingly widespread applications in industries such as chemical manufacturing, smelting, construction materials, defense, nuclear energy, and light industry, leading to rapid growth in its demand and consumption. The demand for fluorspar from industrial sectors has driven the development of the fluorspar industry and its export trade.
Section Characteristics and Uses of Fluorspar
I. Mineral Characteristics of Fluorspar
Fluorspar, also known as fluorite, primarily consists of calcium fluoride (CaF?). In pure mineral form, calcium accounts for 51.3% by mass, and fluorine accounts for 48.7%, making it one of the most important fluorine-containing minerals in nature and the primary source of fluorine in industry. Fluorspar belongs to the isometric crystal system, with crystals commonly occurring as cubes, octahedrons, or a combination of both, while some are rhombic dodecahedrons or polyhedrons of cubes and octahedrons. Cubic crystal surfaces often exhibit parallel striations to the edges, and intergrowth twins are common. The mineral typically occurs as aggregates, often in granular, dense massive, or earthy forms. It has perfect cleavage. The color is highly variable, commonly purple, green, pale yellow, light rose, light blue, or purple-black, with light green, purple, and purple-black being the most frequent. Transparent and colorless forms are rare. When heated to 300°C, the color disappears but can return after X-ray irradiation. This color change is primarily due to trace impurities in the crystal structure and ion displacement within the crystal lattice. Fluorspar has a vitreous luster. Transparent or lightly colored fluorspar has a low refractive index (n = 1.434) and weak dispersion, with excellent filtering properties for ultraviolet and infrared light. Such fluorspar can be used as optical fluorspar, a highly valuable material. Some fluorspar also exhibits thermoluminescence, emitting fluorescence under heat or ultraviolet or sunlight irradiation. Fluorspar is brittle, with a hardness of 4 and a specific gravity of 3.1–3.2. It leaves a white streak. Its melting point ranges from 1270 to 1350°C, and when molten, it forms a glassy state with good fluidity. Fluorspar is commonly associated with minerals such as calcite, quartz, barite, and various sulfides. Yttrium fluorspar is a subspecies of fluorspar ((Ca, Y)F???), with yttrium content often exceeding 10%, and sometimes containing cerium. This yttrium fluorspar has physical properties similar to those of ordinary fluorspar, except with slightly higher hardness, specific gravity, and refractive index. Fluorspar is insoluble in water and reacts weakly with hydrochloric and nitric acid. However, it completely dissolves in concentrated sulfuric acid, releasing hydrogen fluoride gas and forming calcium sulfate.
II. Uses of Fluorspar
Fluorspar is the most important industrial mineral among fluorides, with unique physicochemical properties and a wide range of industrial applications, primarily in metallurgy, chemical manufacturing, and construction materials. It is also used in light industry, optical technology, and defense industries. Fluorspar with bright colors and good crystal structure can be used as material for carving crafts. Fluorspar varieties mainly include fluorspar blocks, fluorspar powder, concentrates, and their deep-processed products. The industrial applications of fluorspar are illustrated in Figure 1-1.
(1) Applications in Metallurgical Industry
In the metallurgical industry, fluorspar is primarily utilized for its low melting point (1270–1350°C), fluidity when molten, and its ability to form slag with sulfur, phosphorus, and other harmful impurities in molten steel, which float on the surface and are easily removed. For a long time, it has been used as a flux in steelmaking to reduce melting temperatures, enhance the fluidity of silicate slags, and remove sulfur, phosphorus, and silicon impurities from steel, thereby improving the forgeability and tensile strength of steel products. It is widely used in Bessemer converters, open-hearth furnaces, and electric arc furnaces. Additionally, fluorspar is added during the smelting of certain iron alloys, iron, refining of copper, lead, zinc, magnesium, and cast iron.