Resource World Magazine

Resource World - December-January 2018 - Vol 16 Issue 1

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36 www.resourceworld.com D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 of silicon – producing some two-thirds of global demand. Silicon is somewhat unusual amongst metals in that its con- sumption growth has accelerated, rather than slowed, since the global financial crisis. The strong growth in consump- tion is reflective of the fact that all three largest end-use applications for silicon metal (aluminum alloys, silicones and polysilicon in solar applications) have experienced strong demand growth in recent years. Aluminum remains the largest end-use for silicon metal, accounting for roughly half of total consumption. Roskill expects silicon metal demand from the aluminum sector to grow strongly, underpinned by anticipated growth in aluminum demand from the automotive sector. CESIUM According to Dr. David Trueman, a renowned expert on the geology and pro- duction of cesium, since the 1990s the largest application for cesium (some 80% of global production) has been in the form of cesium formate used as a drilling fluid particularly in the extractive oil industry. There are only two significant deposits containing cesium minerals in the world. The Bikita Mine in Zimbabwe has been a producer of lithium and cesium ores for over 50 years but currently ore from Bikita is being produced from above ground stockpiles and waste dumps and shipped from to China for processing. The world's largest deposit of cesium is located at the Tanco at Bernic Lake, Manitoba. Owned by the Cabot Corp., Tanco until recently supplied some 80% of the world's demand for cesium formate but underground rock falls in recent years have sterilized the ore body leading to the curtailment of mining and, like Bikita, production has been sustained from above ground storage and waste piles. As these final stocks are depleted and as there are no other significant depos- its of cesium in the world apart from the low-grade Taron deposit in Argentina, Trueman believes there is a crisis looming in the cesium market. n

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