Outlook favorable for antimony compounds

Demand for antimony has recovered somewhat with the general economic revival, but prospects for growth in the main markets for antimony metal are small, says research firm Roskill of London.

On the other hand, demand for antimony compounds shows a more encouraging outlook, says the firm in its new study, Antimony: market update, analysis and outlook.

The major application for antimony compounds is flame retardants, accounting for about 75% of U.S. consumption of antimony in non-metallic end-uses, and about 96% in Japan. Roskill projects that growth in demand for flame retardants will be about 5% per year until 1998, with most of the growth occurring in the plastics industry.

In the United Kingdom, antimony oxide has caused concern because of its possible link with cot deaths. Testing will continue, but Roskill suggests that sales of mattresses containing flame retardants will likely fall. China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which have been experiencing supply problems, together account for almost 80% of world antimony

production.

Output in China was affected in 1994 by floods and in 1993 by mining cutbacks which were exacerbated by reduced exports. In the CIS, economic problems are affecting output.

Production in Bolivia, which accounted for 24% of world output in 1982, has fallen by 60% since 1987 because of hyper-inflation, currency devaluation, wage restraints and state intervention in the mining sector, Roskill says. Prices for antimony rose dramatically in 1994, to US$5,900 per tonne in November from US$1,700 in January. Roskill foresees the higher prices continuing for 1995, with the long-term outlook clouded by the Chinese supply situation.

For more information, contact Roskill Information Services, 2 Clapham Road, London SW9 0JA, U.K.