Thursday, March 30, 2017

Relative Market Values for Two Adjacent Periodic Table Groups

Total 2015 sales and weight of sales, along with unit sales prices, for elements in two periodic table groups, Group 4 and 5, were searched for on the Internet.  The found data was compiled and analyzed to come up with what is shown in the following tables:

Group 4
 sales
weight in metric tons (mt)
average mt sales price
titanium
 $      3,900,000,000
275,000
 $        14,182
zirconium
 $      4,000,000,000
200,000
 $        20,000
hafnium
 $            45,000,000
75
 $      600,000
cerium
 $          350,000,000
50,000
 $          7,000
totals
 $      8,295,000,000
525,075

Group 5
 sales
weight in metric tons (mt)
average mt sales price
vanadium
 $          824,500,000
85,000
 $          9,700
niobium
 $      2,100,000,000
50,000
 $        42,000
tantalum
 $          342,000,000
1,800
 $      190,000
praseodymium
 $          450,000,000
9,000
 $        50,000
totals
 $      2,892,000,000
60,800



This was done to gain knowledge on the relative economic value of elements in a group compared to another group.   Such knowledge might be useful in decision-making about investments.  For example, the tables above show zirconium and niobium with the highest sales in their groups, while also being next to one another in the same periodic row of elements.   Also, from the tables, Group 4 elements recently have had much higher economic value than Group 5 elements ($8.3 billion compared to $2.9 billion).


The values in the tables are approximate.  The variations in the reported sales and weight of sales found on the Internet suggests that uncertainty exists in the amounts reported and therefore amounts such as those given in the tables above should be considered approximate.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Relative Sales Performance Data for Some Pigment Classes


The following table presents recent (2015) sales and weight data for five pigment classes:

pigment class
 sales
weight in metric tons (mt)
average unit sales price
specialty
 $    4,500,000,000
175,000
 $ 25,714
dyes & organics
 $  15,000,000,000
2,100,000
 $    7,143
titanium oxide
 $  14,000,000,000
7,000,000
 $    2,000
iron oxide
 $    2,000,000,000
2,000,000
 $    1,000
carbon black
 $    1,200,000,000
1,200,000
 $    1,000
totals
 $  36,700,000,000
12,475,000
 $    2,942

The sales and weight data are approximate (best estimated) amounts based on various sales and weight data associated with market and other reports on pigments found on the Internet.

Assuming the sales and weight data are approximately correct, I computed an average unit sales price ($ per mt) for each class.  The relative average unit sales prices, it seems to me, can be an indicator of technological and other challenges of bringing the classes to a demanding market.   And along with this, the relative average unit sales prices indicate the classes with expected higher gross profit margins (the higher the average unit sales price, the higher the expected gross profit margin).


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – February 2017

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is February 2017.

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply.
Click here to read the January 2017 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the January alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed.

Section I.   Zinc:  global; mining not keeping up with demand
      
Section II.   Shortages Reported in February not found on the Previous Month’s List

None

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: none
2.  Production not keeping up with demand:  none
3.  Government regulations: none
4.  Sources no longer available: none
5.  Insufficient imports:  none
6.  Supply not keeping up with demand:  none