General situation of dolomite production in various countries in the world


Since the steel and glass industries are the main consumption markets of dolomite, the following introduces the production of dolomite in various countries in the world.

1. Europe

[U.K]

Pilkington, a major UK producer of flat glass, was acquired by Hepworth Minerals and Chemicals Ltd and merged to form WBB Minerals, part of the Sibelco Group. In the British mining area, Pilkington is the largest user of dolomite, with an annual consumption of 200,000 tons, and the rest of the dolomite is mainly used in the steel and aggregate industries.

[Germany]

There are more than 10 dolomite production plants in Germany. The dolomite mine of Rheinkalk Hagen Halden GmbH is the most famous. These dolomite are mainly used in steel, glass and other industries, and some are also sold to LWB refractory companies in Europe. Although Rheinkalk KDI company Mainly engaged in agricultural sales and supply, but also includes dolomite.
Garmeuse has no dolomite plants in Germany, and most of the remaining deposits are small, independent and only sold in the local glass, steel and agricultural markets.
Geomin Erzgebirgiche Kalkwerke GmbH is one of the largest deposits/production plants. Another production plant is the Schondorfer mine, which mainly produces high-purity dolomite.

[France and Belgium]

Large-scale dolomite production is located in central Belgium, they are: SA Dolomies de Merlemont, SA de Marche-les-Dames and SA Dolomeuse, their annual production capacity is 360 tons. Belgium is a well-known glass producer, therefore, the flat glass industry is the main user of dolomite, accounting for about 60% of the total output.
Saint-Gobain also has its own dolomite production plant in France, SAMIN, with an annual production capacity of 400,000 tons.

[Spain and Italy]

The Grupo Calcinor production plant in Spain is a subsidiary of Carmeuse. The plant annually produces 285,000 tons of crude dolomite, 25,000 tons of dead-burned dolomite for the steel industry and 50,000 tons for the glass industry.
In the province of Malaga, there is a famous production plant with an annual output of 500,000 tons of crude dolomite.

Dolomite production plants in Italy are mainly concentrated in the northern region, of which Unicalce SpA is the most famous.

[Poland]

Zelatowa Dolomite Company and Gornicze Zaklady Dolomitowe (GZD) Company are two famous dolomite producers in Poland. Zelatowa produces 300,000 tons of dolomite per year
Raw ore and thousands of tons of dead-burned dolomite. However, dolomite to satisfy the Polish flat glass industry also needs to be imported from Germany and other countries.

2. Asia and Australia

[Indonesia]

In Indonesia, the natural resources of silica sand and dolomite are extremely abundant in the glass industry. PT Polowijo Gosari is the largest dolomite production plant with an annual output of more than 250,000 tons. In addition, there are two famous flat glass plants in Indonesia: PT Asahimas Tbk and PT Muila.

[Japan]

Japan has its own dolomite mine production plants, mainly for float glass plants and steel companies. They are Kawasaki in the Kanto district (with an annual output of 700,000 tons of dolomite) and Miyama in the Tokai. There is also a Nittetsu mineral company, but produces The dolomite is shipped directly to Nippon Steel.
However, Japan's demand for dolomite is very high, and it needs to import 1 to 2 million tons per year. For example, the Kawetetsu Mineral Company in Tokyo needs to import from the Alcoy Mine in Cebu Island, Philippines.
The dolomite produced on the island is shipped to places such as Kawasaki and Asahi Flat Glass Factory.

In addition, dolomite from Australia and South Korea is also exported to Japan.

[South Korea]

South Korea is also a producer of dolomite, mainly used in large steel companies such as POSCO, with an output of about 2.7 million tons in 2000.
Daesung Industrial Co., Ltd. is its main dolomite production plant.

[Thailand]

The famous dolomite production plant in Thailand is Pands Group Company in Kanchanaburi Province. About 50% of the company's products are exported to Kawasaki, Japan. The other 50% is used in glass factories and other industries, such as: in Rayong and Saraburi There are two Guardian flat glass plants.

[India]

Steel Corporation of India Limited (SAIL) is the largest steel mill in India. The Tulsidamar Dolomite Mine and the Hirri Dolomite Mine are its two famous dolomite production plants with an annual output of 400,000 tons and 600,000 tons respectively. Bhutan also produces Dolomite, whose annual output is 250,000 tons, India still needs to import from here.
The largest flat glass factory in India is the Indian Saint-Gobain Glass Factory in Chenani.

[Australia]

Australia's largest dolomite production plant is OneSteel'S Ardrossan Minerals, with an annual output of 900,000 tons, of which 200,000 tons are exported to Japan. In the domestic market, its lump ore is mainly used as a flux for Whyalla, Canberra and Newcastle It can also be used as a refractory material in the alkaline oxygen blowing converter in the special steel plant, and at the same time in the Whyalla steel plant.
Unimin Australia Pty Ltd is a dolomite production plant in South Australia with an annual output of approximately 45,000 tons.

3. South Africa

Iscor, Kumba and Samancor are the three major industrial companies in South Africa. Iscor has developed a new deposit (220,000 tonnes of dolomite per annum), which is mainly sold to the Saldanha steel mill; Samancor Ltd's Lyttleton dolomite mine in Pretoria The annual output is about 900,000 tons.
Glen Douglas is an open pit mine with an annual output of 1.3 million tons of dolomite, of which metallurgical dolomite accounts for 50%, aggregate accounts for 43%, and agricultural lime accounts for 7%. year.

4. Americas

[America / Canada]

Chemical Lime, a subsidiary of Carmeuse Group and Lhoist, are two well-known dolomite production plants in the United States/Canada. In addition, there are dolomite lime production plants, which are: Martin Marietta Specialty Magnesia Plant, Gmymont, Vulcan Materials Plant , Linwood Mineral Plant, Rockwell Lime Plant and Western Lime Plant, etc.

The National Limestone Company is one of the major producers of dolomite sand in North America for the glass industry. Lafarge Dundas in Ontario is a major producer of dolomite ore for the Canadian steel mill in Hamilton. The company also Produces dolomite, mainly for the Carmeuse dead-burning dolomite plant.

5. Latin America

Companhia Siderurgica National (CSN) is the largest steel company in Latin America. Dolomite produced by Brazil's Mineracao Jundu Co. Ltd. and Unimin Jundu is mainly used in the flat glass plant in Cebrus.

There are many dolomite production plants in Mexico, mainly in Monclova, whose raw materials are used in the steel industry. There is also a famous glass factory in Monterrey, the Grupo Vitro company. In addition, there are many dolomite in other countries in South America. production plant.


From: Foreign Refractories, February 2004, Volume 29, Issue 1