ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM 



715 



Table 157. — Production, in short tons, of zirconium con- 

 centrates from five nations, 1968-70 



[e, estimate: NA, not available. Data from Clarke, 1970] 

 Country 1968 1969 1970 



Australia 332,956 411,021 e403,000 



Brazil 3,083 3,874 NA 



Ceylon 28 75 128 



Malaysia '1,241 '1,562 =998 



Thailand 3,549 276 ' 2,469 



Total 340,857 416,808 406,590 



^ Exports of zircon. 



2 Exports of zircon and zirconium sand to Japan. 



India and Ceylon was expected to be near 10,000 and 

 9,500 tons per year, respectively, by the end of 1970. 

 The zircon production capacities of Malaysia, South 

 Africa, and the United Arab Republic were reported- 

 ly small. Total world production of zirconium con- 

 centrates, including unreported amounts of bad- 

 deleyite, zircon , and eudialyte, probably exceeded 

 500,000 short tons. 



The combined zirconium and hafnium contents of 

 zircon concentrates form approximately 50 percent 

 of the tonnage. The ratio of zirconium to hafnium in 

 the concentrates is about 50 to 1. Total world produc- 

 tion of zirconium in 1968 was estimated by the U.S. 

 Bureau of Mines to be about 247,000 short tons 

 (Stamper and Chin, 1970b). This total was based 

 upon reported production and upon assumed amounts 

 of 30,000 tons for the U.S.S.R. and 39,000 tons for 

 the United States. Data on actual production for 

 these countries and for Japan and India are not 

 available. Because production in Australia increased 

 by about 34,000 tons of zirconium between 1968 and 

 1971, world production in 1971 is estimated to have 

 been approximately 280,000 short tons. 



ESTIMATED U.S. PRODUCTION OF 

 ZIRCONIUM CONCENTRATES 



United States production of zircon is solely from 

 the Trail Ridge area, Florida, and Folkston, Georgia. 

 Zircon and zirconium products are processed in sev- 

 eral states. Specific production data are not released, 

 but the order of magnitude of their production can 

 be estimated. Stocks of zircon held by dealers and 

 consumers in the United States, exclusive of those 

 held by foundries, during the years 1968-71 have 

 varied only slightly; so the difference between the 

 amounts imported and the total U.S. consumption, 

 as shown in figure 78, indicates the order of magni- 

 tude of domestic production. The data suggest a de- 

 crease from 83,000 short tons estimated for 1968 to 

 between 50,000 and 55,000 tons in 1970 and 1971, 

 depending upon the source of the zircon exported 

 from the United States, and the amount of zircon 

 reused. 



PRODUCTION OF ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM 



Zirconium metal production in the United States 

 in 1968 was entirely from imported concentrates. 

 Data concerning the amount produced are not avail- 

 able. Hafnium demand in that year, about IS short 

 tons, was met by processing imported zircon to pro- 

 duce hafnium-free zirconium. Hafnium crystal bar 

 production in 1970 was 35 short tons (Clarke, 1970) . 



PRICES 



The prices of zirconium and hafnium raw materi- 

 als and of various products of these elements are 

 indicated in the following list, from data compiled 

 by the U.S. Bureau of Mines from published sources 

 for 1970 (Clarke, 1970) : 



Specification of material Price 



Zircon : 



Domestic, per short ton, f.o.b. Starke, Fla. 



(minimum 66 percent ZrO=) $ 56.00-.$57.00 



Imported, sand, per long ton, in bags, c.i.f. 

 Atlantic ports (minimum 65 percent 



ZrO.) 70.00 



Zircon and zirconia brick, 9-inch equivalent brick, 



per brick 3.72 



Zirconium oxide, in various grades and lots, 



per pound 0.41- 1.50 



Zirconium : 



Povifder, per pound 12.00- 13.00 



Sponge, per pound 5.50- 7.00 



Hafnium : 



Sponge, per pound 75.00 



Bar and plate, rolled, per pound 120.00 



It is apparent that the price of about 3 cents per 

 pound for the zircon is only a small part of the price 

 of the various prepared products. The difference in 

 prices is related to the complexity and cost of the 

 processes required to convert the zircon to usable 

 products. 



TRADE 



The average value of imported zircon, 92 percent 

 of which was from Australia in 1970, was $39.08 per 

 short ton, and the total value of zircon imported into 

 the United States was $3.7 milHon (Clarke, 1970). 

 Products of zirconium and hafnium valued at ap- 

 proximately $1.6 million were imported into the 

 United States in 1970. These were from Canada, 

 France, West Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, 

 United Kingdom, and Japan. U.S. imports for con- 

 sumption of zircon were from Australia, Canada, 

 Republic of South Africa, and the United Kingdom. 

 The value of zircon imports from Australia was 

 nearly $3.3 million. Some sales contracts for rutile 

 from Australia stipulate that zircon must also be 

 purchased in some proportional quantity (Stamper 

 and Chin, 1970b). 



