Elemental Carbon – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog highlights data I have found on the Internet related to elemental carbon uses, prices, and production.   Data and information are provided on nine forms of elemental carbon ((activated carbon, amorphous (black) carbon, carbon fibers, charcoal, coal, diamond, graphene, graphite, and nano-tubes/fullerenes)).

Uses.  The following table (table 1) shows prominent uses for each of the nine forms of elemental carbon.  Uses vary extensively. 

table 1 uses
activated carbon	adsorption
amorphous (black) carbon	filler, pigment, and reinforcement in tires and other rubbers products	pigments	coatings	conductive agent
carbon fibers	structural, reinforcement	textiles
charcoal	fuel	adsorbent	filter
coal	fuel	source of chemicals	source of other forms of carbon, e.g. fibers, activated carbon
diamond	cutting, polishing, abasing	heat sink	jewelry gemstone
graphene	additive
graphite	lubricant	conductor	thermal resistance	anti-friction	marker
nano-tubes and fullerenes	additive

Prices.   The following table (table 2) shoes estimated 2018 price ranges for the nine forms of elemental carbon.  Prices vary a lot from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per kilogram. 

table 2    estimated 2018 price ranges
activated carbon	Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $900/metric ton (mt); highs $7,000/mt
amorphous (black) carbon	Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $1,200/mt; highs $1,400/mt
carbon fibers	Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $25/kg; highs $100/kg
charcoal	Varies depending on quality, quantities, etc.  Lows can be $350/mt; highs $1,700/mt
coal	Priced more as a commodity; two main types - for electricity generation ($90/mt range) or for metal processing ($60/mt range)
diamond	Industrial quality  in the $0.50 to $3.00/carat range; laboratory gem-quality in the several hundred dollars/carat range; natural gem-quality in several thousand dollars/carat range
graphene	$100 to $200/gm
graphite	Varies on whether natural or synthetic.  Natural varies on type (flake, amorphous, or lump) and quality - from a few hundred dollars/mt to a few thousand dollars/mt.   Synthetic higher.
nano-tubes and fullerenes	Multi-wall nano-tubes can be in the hundreds to thousands/kg range; single wall - $100,000/kg.  Fullerenes only sold in gram quantities in $100 to $250/gram range.

Production.  The following table (table 3) shows prominent production methods used, estimated 2018 amounts produced, and estimated revenues that could be generated by the amounts produced.  

table 3   production methods, estimated 2018 amounts produced, and 2018 estimated revenues
carbon type	method	quantity
activated carbon	pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials, e.g. wood	An estimated global production - 3 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $3.2 billion
amorphous (black) carbon	incomplete combustion of petroleum products	An estimated global production - 14 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $17 billion
carbon fibers	includes carbonizing organic polymers	An estimated global production - 90,000 mt.  Estimated revenues - $3.5 billion
charcoal	pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials, e.g. wood	An estimated global production - 1.5 million mt.  Estimated revenues - $1.3 billion
coal	mining	An estimated global production - 7.3 billion mt.  Estimated revenues - $620 billion
diamond	mining; laboratory processes	An estimated global production - 880 mt (natural gem: 15 mt; natural industrial: 14 mt; laboratory gem: < 1 mt; laboratory industrial: 850 mt).  Estimated global revenues - $237 billion (natural gem: $225 billion; natural industrial: $105 million; laboratory gem: $5 billion; laboratory industrial: $6.4 billion)
graphene	laboratory processes	An estimated global production - 0.5 mt.  Estimated revenues - $50 million
graphite	mining; laboratory processes	An estimated global production - 2.2 million mt (natural: 1 million mt; synthetic: 1.2 million mt).  Estimated revenues - $9 billion (natural: $1 billion; synthetic: $8 billion)
nano-tubes and fullerenes	laboratory processes	An estimated global production - 10,000 mt.  Estimated revenues - $4.5 billion (mostly multi-wall nano-tubes)
	total	7.3 billion mt.     $896 billion

The above tables show to me just how varied the use of elemental forms of carbon are and the magnitude of their production amounts (estimated total is more than 7 billion metric tons) and the estimated generated revenues (estimated total of more than $890 billion).  If coal and diamond are eliminated from the amounts produced and revenues generated, the new totals are about 21 million metric tons and $39 billion.

Boron – Uses, Production, Prices, and News

This blog highlights data I have found on the Internet related to boron uses, production, prices, and news.

Uses.   Boron as an element has limited use, but compounds of boron have many uses.   These compounds include boric acid, sodium compounds of boron (e.g., borax), boron oxide, boron halides, and boron metals (e.g., silicon boride).   Many of the boron compound uses relate to the compounds’ hardness and resistance properties.  Boron ions in solution support plant life and so boron compounds are used as a fertilizer.  Boron ions also have antiseptic and insecticide properties.  The following table shows some of the major boron compound uses and an approximate percentage of the use related to total boron compound use:

uses
glass fibers containing boron	40
borosilicate glass	15
in ceramics for hardness	15
agriculture	12
in detergents and bleaches	4
other	14
total	100

Other uses include in rocket fuels; in nuclear fusion control applications; as a food and wood preservatives; in magnets; in organic compound synthesis; and as components of alloys.  Elemental boron is use in fibers, as a doping agent, and as an ignition source.  Demand growth for most boron compound uses approximate gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates except for boron uses in fiber glasses and in borosilicate glass, which exceeds GDP growth rates.

Production.  Estimated recent production of ores containing boron compounds are in the 12 to 14 million metric ton (mt) range.  Two countries (Turkey and United States) account for approximately 75% of the production (Turkey about 45% and the United States about 30%) and two companies, Eti Mine (a Turkish company) and Rio Tinto (a British registered company) account for the 75% (Eti Mine in Turkey and Rio Tinto in the United States).

Prices.   Boron-containing ores such as colemanite and ulexite in 2018 had prices in the $500 per mt range.  Based on an estimated 2018 boron-containing ores production of 12 million mt and a price of $500 per mt, the value of boron-containing ores produced is approximately $6 billion dollars.

However, boron-containing ores have little use except as a source of boron compounds.  These ores must be further processed to obtain the boron compounds.  Industry practice is to evaluate and value these ores based on likely amounts of boron oxide that can be obtained from the ores.  The four primary ores used as a source of boron compounds have varying percentages of boron oxide that can be produced from the ores.  The four ores with the approximate percentages of boron oxide that can be produced from the ores are: colemanite (51%); kernite (43%); ulexite (43%); and tincal (37%).   Using the average of these percentages (which is 43%) as the amount of boron oxide that can be produced from the estimated 12 million mt of ores produced in 2018 gives 5.2 million mt (0.43 X 12 million mt) of boron oxide.  And the value of 5.2 million mt of boron oxide is approximately $3.6 billion (5.2 million mt X $700 per mt).   $700 per mt is an approximate average 2018 sales price of boron oxide.

News.   What follows are brief summaries of 2018 news alerts about boron uses.

v  The engineering and construction company Fluor has been selected by Ioneer, Ltd to provide feasibility, engineering, procurement, and construction services for a lithium and boron mine project in Nevada.

Helium – Uses, Production, Prices, and News

This blog highlights data I have found on the Internet related to helium uses, production, prices, and news.

Uses.  Helium has a variety of uses based on its inertness, lightness of its gaseous state, and the low temperature of its liquid state.  The following table shows an approximate use percentage for the various ways in which helium is used:

uses	%
cryogenics	25
lifting/other	15
pressure/purging/leak detection	14
electronics/semiconductors/fiber optics	12
science/analytical	12
welding	10
controlled atmospheres	8
breathing	4
total	100

For several years, helium uses have been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 2 to 3%.   But this is increasing, especially because of helium’s increased use in electronic, semiconductor, and fiber optics manufacturing.

Production.  Estimated helium global production in 2018 is in the 160 to 165 million cubic meters (c. m.) range.   Approximately 55 to 60% of this amount is produced in the United States.  The next largest producer is Qatar at about 28% and then Algeria at about 9%.  Australia, Canada, China, Poland, and Russia also produce helium, each in the less than 5% of total global production range.   Helium is created by the decay of radioactive elements beneath the earth’s surface and needs to be brought to the surface by drilling, usually while drilling for natural gasses.  Helium then needs to be separated from the natural gasses.

Prices.   Helium prices in the United States have significantly increased from 2016 to 2018.  Prices charged by the US government for helium (from its large helium reserve) have increased from the $4 per c.m. range to the $6 per c.m. range. 

Companies such as Linde, Air Products, and Air Liquide also sell helium, at higher than government prices.   For example, the company Air Products purchased all the helium auctioned by the US Government at its helium 2018 auction at an average price of $10.10 per c.m.   Air Products 2018 gross profit margin percentage (from its 2018 annual report) was 31%.  This suggests that Air Products would seek to sell the helium it brought at the 2018 government auction at an average sales price of about $14.50 per c.m. to maintain the 31% gross profit margin percentage.  

Based on a global 2018 production of approximately 165 million c.m. and using a government price of $6 per c. m., the value for helium produced in 2018 was about $1 billion ($6 per c.m. X 165 million c.m.).  However, using a sales price of $14.50 per c.m. (a price that Air Products might be seeking – see above paragraph) and a 2018 global production of approximately 165 million c.m., the value for helium produced in 2018 might be $2.4 billion ($14.50 per c.m. X 165 million c.m.).

News.   What follows are brief summaries of 2018 news alerts about helium uses.

v    2018 helium demand greatly exceeded production with demand in the 220 million c.m. range and production in the 160 million c.m. range.

v    The US government last scheduled auction of helium owned by the US government in its reserve was held in 2018.  After this last auction, helium remaining in the government reserve will be for use by US government users.

v    Two of the main companies selling helium, Praxair and Linde, have merged, keeping the Linde name.  Other large companies selling helium are Air Products, Air Liquide, and Exxon Mobile.

v    With higher prices and greater demand, exploration for helium is increasing.

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – March 2019

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 March 2019.

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 February 2019 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the February 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.

Palladium: Global; production not keeping up with demand

Section II.   Shortages Reported in March 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