Zircon buoys as prices rise

摘要

The zircon industry has long been tied closely together with the titanium dioxide (TiO_2) feedstock industry. Although the two industrial minerals have widely different end uses and supply chains, ilmenite and rutile, used to make TiO_2, and zircon are often found in the same deposits. This means that the shortage in supply of titanium feedstocks, that has sent prices rocketing in the last 18 months, will have an impact on the zircon industry.Prices for zircon have indeed risen drastically from $870/tonne in October 2010 to $2,500/tonne today for zircon, standard grade, FOB Australia, according to IMs prices database.