The five largest Fluorite Producers in the world in 2021 were China, Mexico, Mongolia, South Africa and Vietnam, who accounted for 92% of production.
According to the Orbia company and analysis by the USGS and HCA, the world production of fluorite was approximately 8.4 million metric tons.
In 2021, the leading country in fluorspar production was China, with 63% of the annual world production.
The majority of acid-grade fluorspar is consumed in the production of HF, needed for the manufacture of fluorinated chemicals, followed by its use in aluminum production and steelmaking.
Global consumption of acid grade fluorspar was affected during 2020 by the drop in demand for HF and refrigerant gases, caused by industrial closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fluorinated Solutions is the world’s largest fluorspar producer, representing approximately 96% of Mexico’s active production capacity, equivalent to 18% of the world’s annual fluorspar needs.
HF is the most important chemical derived from fluorite. The largest HF production capacity in the world is in China, followed by North America and Western Europe.
Fluorite producers
Do-Fluoride in China, the world’s largest HF producer, has about 10% of the world’s capacity.
Excluding China, Fluorinated Solutions was the world’s largest HF producer during 2021, followed by Honeywell adding the US and German plants.
Most of Fluorinated Solutions’ production is exported to the United States, where it is consumed for the production of fluorocarbons and other applications.
Fluorite in its natural state (whose concentration ranges between 50 and 90%), is used in the steel, cement, glass and ceramic industries, helping to eliminate impurities in the manufacture of steel, improving the molecular weight structure of clinker. in cement and generating energy savings, among the main benefits. This type of fluorite is called metallurgical grade.
Orbia is currently the world’s largest producer of fluorspar and integrated HF, excluding China.
In addition, the Company is one of the largest producers of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in the world, considering operations in Mexico, and the largest supplier to the United States spot market.
