Make Acid Grade Again
Fluorspar (the Latin verb “fluo“ means “flow“) is heavily used for the production of aluminium and steel. Acid-spar is used to manufacture aluminium fluoride (AlF3), which acts as a flux to lower the bath temperature in the production of aluminium. Met-spar acts as a flux in steel production to lower the melting temperature... Aluminium
• Canada‘s primary aluminium industry is the 4th largest in the world with an annual production of 3.2 million t.
• Canada is the world‘s 2nd largest aluminium exporter (84% of primary aluminium exported to the US).
• Aluminium from Canada has the lowest carbon footprint, making it the greenest aluminium in the world thanks to its ready access to hydroelectric power. Primary aluminium produced in Qubec generates 67% and 76% less greenhouse gas than in the Middle East or China, respectively, which are the world‘s 2 largest producers of primary aluminium and mainly use coal energy to produce it.
• Nearly 90% of Canadian aluminium is produced in Qubec.
• Alcoa, Rio Tinto and Aloutte operate 8 aluminium smelters in Qubec, producing 2.9 million t of primary aluminium, or 60% of total North American production.
• Aluminium is a strategic Qubec industry, providing 30,000 jobs in 8 smelters, +1,400 processing companies, 923 OEMs, 684 suppliers, 76 equipment suppliers, 132 recyclers and 8 centres of research, development and training.
• Aluminium is the second largest industry in Qubec (after aerospace). The delivery value of aluminium products is upwards of $5 billion, which represents a sizeable revenue for Qubec’s economy.
• In 2015, the Government of Qubec announced the launch of the Qubec Aluminium Development Strategy to promote the growth and enhancement of the entire aluminium value chain, including the mandate to double aluminium processing in Qubec until 2025.
• China accounted for 65% of global aluminium tri-fluoride (AlF3) supply in 2018, when worldwide demand was 1.1 million t. Demand for AlF3 in aluminium smelting is likely to be maintained for the foreseeable future as aluminium production continues to undersupply demand...
Lithium-Ion Batteries
According to IMFORMED Industrial Mineral Forums & Research(2019):
“Fluorine-based compounds are now being used in the emerging and fast growing Li-ion battery market: fluoropolymers in high performance binders and separator coatings, and fluorinated salts in the electrolyte...
Fluorspar + Qubec = Perfect Match
Few people know that fluorspar is a key ingredient to some of our most important (and largest) primary manufacturing industries – aluminium, steel, fluorochemicals and more recently the soaring lithium-ion battery market (“one of the best kept secrets in the battery metals mix“ as most investors have not yet realized that fluorspar is a vital component in lithium-ion batteries).
It‘s a rare opportunity that even fewer people know that Commerce and Saville are advancing also with their fluorspar opportunities trying to become the perfect match for Qubec hitting the sweet spot for its aluminium and steel industries. A reliable fluorspar source in the same province would arguably be a missing key for Qubec as the provincial government aims to expand both its aluminium and steel industries...
Qubec is the world‘s second largest aluminium exporter (+80% goes to the US), and also a major steel producer with large iron ore mines located near-by at the Labrador Trough. With Commerce‘s and Saville‘s properties also located in Qubec‘s Labrador Trough, a reliable long-term fluorspar source would be all the more welcome to the province‘s aluminium and steel industries...
https://www.rockstone-research.com/index.php/en/research-reports/5558-Fluorspar-The-Sweet-Spot-for-Quebecs-Steel-and-Aluminium-Industries