.0 <.' j-^" y'^^. ^tL .*" .c:^. "-e^ *bt? ^ ^^^ -J %^^^''o'^ V"^'^\'?'^ %''^^'\''^ ""^e. ••-•' .V .^ ^AxV/A-- '^<«. .c.'?^"' ♦*^^'- "e*. A* *:((vVa«' -^^^ 'ee. ..^ /. "^^^"^ • -^x. A*' « ■'. ^^-^** •^■•. *--^^ '^.*1JA^* ^ *• •* <^^^^?^ / %^^^%o'> V^^y "0.^^%° V-^^y "hj^^ /\ l^-' ^'^'"'^^ '-^^*" /\ --^^^S^.- ^ aV ""^^ .0^' o"^**,'^©, ■ A*^ .•'.:^*/*^ ^O** .«»J^*«. "^O. " jl"^^ ..^'_*^ '<«'^ « * « .^ oV-^^^^ia'- ^ov*' :SII^'^ "-^Ao^" oV-^^ia-- '»'..-»'^ o". '^^^.'•T^'-,^-^' . '■^^**^'^*y., v*^''\./ 'V^^'^'V' ^ "V'^^' V* •»' «^ j'^..^.::.'. •'" '^^^ J" **^9fek'. -e^ A^ .>Va-«- "%. j^ ^^•n^. '-^o* «-l<^^ e , o ' . U ♦ ,^'^ ^. .•^i.\ o»*.c^.*°o y..^i.\ oo^.-ij^.^ /\^-^ . » - v> <> ' ,4 0xv %p - • . ^v, °o 0^ ^^,^^^\/ %-^.^'*/ 5-' ,"^o^ ♦-/.o^ 0^°^ :♦ .y BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR/1989 Strontium— Uses, Supply, and Technology UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Information Circular 9213 Strontium— Uses, Supply, and Technology By Joyce A. Ober UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Manuel Lujan, Jr., Secretary BUREAU OF MINES T S Ary, Director As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environment and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ober, Joyce A. Strontium : uses, supply, and technology. (Information circular/Bureau of Mines; 9213) Bibliography: p. Supt. of Docs, no.: 1 28.27; 9213. 1. Strontium industry. 2. Strontium. I. Title. II. Series: Information cir- cular (United States. Bureau of Mines); 9213. -TN-295AJ4- [HD9539.S772] 622 s [338.27499] 88-600467 For sale In iho .Su|ierinti'ndenl of Documenls, r..S. (iovernnicnl I'rijilinj; Office VVashinKl« CO Hfl or Nafi 98% SrCO, Na^SO, CelestHe {SrSOJ ^ Coa\ ^ 1,1 occ SODA ASH T ^ CO, SrS ^ SrS + H,0 <- — CO, 1 <— r NBjCO, Na^SO, Precipitates from solution PrecipHates from solution FIGURE 2.— Simplified flowchart of two methods for strontium carbonate production. STRUCTURE OF THE STRONTIUM MINING AND CHEMICAL COMPOUND INDUSTRIES Celestite is the only strontium mineral that is commer- cially available. Details on celestite deposits are listed below, by country. Also included is a list of strontium chemical pro- ducers that consume strontium minerals to produce SrCOa and other strontium compounds. SrCOs is the most important of the various strontium compounds because it is the product that is consumed in most end use applications as well as being the material from which other strontium compounds are produced. No other important compounds are produced directly from the ore. The only other strontium compound that is consumed in significant quantities is Sr(N03)2. ARGENTINA Celestite mining is operated by the Argentine Mining Union at the San Juan Mine in the Mendoza Province. Celestite has also been identified at the Maria Del Carmen and Don Luis Mines, Mendoza Province, and the Rayoso, Julio, Cerro Partido, and Llao Llao Mines, Neuquen Pro- vince. It is unlikely that production is carried out on a regular basis at any of these mines. Production from the San Juan Mine was reported at 1,249 st in 1986, the most re- cent year for which information is available. Almost 60% of this material was exported to Brazil (38). ALGERIA Celestite is mined in Algeria from a surface deposit near Beni Mansour. Estimated reserves are more than 1 million St. The deposit is mined by Enterprise des Produits Non- ferreux et des Substances Utiles (ENOF) and is controlled by L'Enterprise Nationale de Developpement Miniere (Edemines), a division of Societe Nationale de Recherches et d'Exploitations Minieres (SONAREM). No strontium has been exported in recent years, but up to 4,000 st/yr has been exported in the past to Soviet bloc nations and the Federal Republic of Germany. Although the celestite is relatively low in grade, only about 70% SrS04, it is low in barite, silicate, gypsum, and iron, making it possi- ble to concentrate the ore to acceptable levels using only gravity separation. The deposit has not been fully exploited, but there is interest in further development (36). AUSTRALIA Celestite deposits in South Australia were discovered in 1941 but were exploited for only a very short time (32). Recently, Status Minerals NL has begun exploration of other deposits in the desert region of the South Australian Great Artesian Basin. Surface deposits have been identified with over 90% SrS04. Once the deposit has been delineated, funding for development will be sought through an Australian stock exchange listing (18). CANADA Canada has produced celestite ore in the past from the McRae deposit, also known as the old Kaiser Celestite Min- ing Ltd. mine. It is located at Enon, Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia. Mineral rights are now owned by Timminco Metals, a division of Timminco Ltd. of Toronto. Known reserves are over 1 million st of celestite; grades range from 60% to 65% SrSOj. Reopening the mine is currently being considered, but the low grade of the ore makes economic feasibility questionable. Other strontium deposits have been identified in British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Ontario (7), but none are as significant as the deposit in Nova Scotia. Compounds Timminco Metals is the largest producer of strontium metal in the world and the only producer of strontium metal in North America. A new facility has recently been com- pleted in Westmeath, Ontario, which increased the potential strontium output by over 40% (SJ^). The strontium produc- tion facilities in Westmeath and the old facilities in Haley, Ontario, produce strontium metal by the aluminothermic reduction of SrO as discussed previously. CHINA Mining Celestite is currently mined in China almost exclusively for domestic consumption. A new ore dressing facility with a capacity of 11,000 st/yr is located at the Nanjing Mine in the Jiang Su Province. The Nanjing deposit is reported to be high grade and close enough to the surface for open pit min- ing (37). Compounds Import data indicate that strontium chemical plants must exist, but no specific details are available. Japan im- ports SrCOs from China, and SrCOs from China has also been recorded in the United States. CYPRUS Celestite mining began in Cyprus in 1985 at Vassliko, near Limassol, in southern Cyprus. The mine is operated by Hellenic Mining Co. Ltd. The ore averages about 54% SrS04 and must be concentrated to make it marketable. The ore is beneficiated through a flotation process to reach 94% SrS04. The reserves have been determined to be 220,000 st of celestite {13, 22). FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Kali-Chemie AG of Hannover produces SrCOs from im- ported celestite at its plant at Bad Hoenningen. The major Western European producer uses the black ash method in the recently expanded production facilities. Plant capacity is estimated to be 16,500 st/yr. KaH-Chemie imports most of its celestite from Spain and Turkey; it exports 80% to 90% of the production, most of which goes to the United States and the Republic of Korea. Kali-Chemie also produces strontium hydroxide and strontium nitrate. The nitrate is produced by its Italian sub- sidiary, Societa Bario e Derivati SpA, in Massa {12, p. 25). INDIA Atul Mining Works is believed to mine strontianite, from a mine near Bhawanimandi in Rajasthan, but no reports of production are available {28, p. 9). During the 1940's, a significant celestite deposit was reported in the Trichinopoly district containing 500,000 to 1,000,000 st of 96% celestite. There are no indications that the deposit has been developed {11). IRAN One of the world's largest celestite deposits is located in the northwestern part of the Dasht-e-Kavir salt desert. The deposit is mined by Iran Strontium Co., a subsidiary of Cherkate Sahami Sanati Va Maadani Irani (Simiran). Average SrS04 values for the deposit are reported at over 91%, but there are unfavorably high levels of barium sulfate (BaS04) and calcium sulfate (CaS04). Proven reserves total 2 million st of celestite, 475,000 st of which have no over- burden {30). Most of the celestite produced from this deposit is believed to go to the U.S.S.R. ITALY Mining Mining is done by Minera Chimica Farnesiana SpA in Tarquinia, near Rome. Most production of this 75% SrS04 and 5% BaS04 product is sold domestically {26). Production capacity at the mine was recently expanded to 8,000 st/yr, but production has not come close to this level. Some of the processed ore has been exported to the U.S.S.R. {Al) Other deposits exist in central Sicily, although none are presently being mined. Compounds Sr(N03)2 is manufactured by Societa Bario e Derivati, a subsidiary of Kali-Chemie AG of the Federal Republic of Germany, at Massa. Production and capacity figures are not available, but it is known that most of the production goes to the United States {28, p. 35). JAPAN Japan is the largest consumer of SrCOs in the world, mostly due to its large television and electronics industry. No celestite is mined in Japan, but four companies produce SrCOs from imported celestite. Honjo Chemical Corp. operates a production facility for 20,000 st/yr of carbonate at Neyagawa in Osaka using celestite from Spain and China. Sakai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. also produces SrCOs via the black ash method in Osaka at a 13,000-st/yr plant, using Chinese, Mexican, and Spanish celestite. Japan Special Chemicals (Nihon Tokushu Kasei) and Dowa Chemicals also produce SrCOs, but on a much smaller scale; the total capacity for both companies is only about 1,200 st/yr. Both companies use celestite from Spain {If2). The total Japanese capacity of about 34,000 st/yr is only sufficient to supply half of the estimated domestic demand; additional SrCOa is imported from the Federal Republic of Germany and China (28, pp. 27-28). MADAGASCAR Celestite production has been reported in Madagascar, but no details are known. Exports of extremely small quan- tities to the United States have been reported. MEXICO Mining Mexico is one of the world's three largest producers of celestite. The most recent Directory of Mexican Non- Metallic Minerals Trust lists 11 companies currently mining celestite. Compani'a Minera La Valenciana SA (CMV) mines celestite from the San Agusti'n deposit near Torrebn, Com- pafiia Minera Ocampo SA mines a deposit near Saltillo in Nuevo Leon State and has some small production in Hidalgo, Aguascalientes, and Chihuahua States. Reserves of the San Agustin Mine alone have been estimated at over 800,000 tons. Sales y Oxidos (SYOSA), which is 49% owned by Church and Dwight of Princeton, NY, mines west of Monterrey. Other small operations occur in Coahuila, Aguascalientes. Chihuahua, and Nuevo Leon. Mexican celestite is primarily high grade with only hand sorting required to achieve at least 92% SrS04 with low barium content. Abandoned mines and easily identified deposits that have not yet been developed are common throughout a large area in northern Mexico. These deposits have not been extensively explored, but reserves are be- lieved to be vast (40). Compounds SrCOs production has been a recent development in Mexico. Because of the huge celestite resources in the coun- try, this is a very attractive location for additional produc- tion facilities. After FMC Corp., a major U.S. SrCOs and Sr(N03)2 producer, closed its California plant in 1984, Cia Minera La Valenciana SA brought the SrCOs processing equipment. The plant, which utilized the soda ash method of carbonate production and was converted to the black ash method, was relocated to Torrebn in Coahuila State, near where the com- pany operates a mine. The plant capacity is 13,000 st/yr. Shipments from the plant, targeted for the television and electronics industry in the Far East, commenced in May 1987. SYOSA recently expanded SrCOs capacity at its plant near Monterrey to 8,000 st/yr. SYOSA, which produces car- bonate by the black ash method from celestite it mines near- by, is marketing its production in the United States {28, p. 29). PAKISTAN All mines in Pakistan are the property of provincial governments and are operated by private companies for these governments. Recent celestite production figures have been reported for two active mines, one near Dawood Khail and one near Karachi {39). Tawakkal Mineral Exports Corp. recovers celestite from these mines in the Dadu District of Bind Province. No beneficiation is necessary to produce 94% SrSOj. Reserves of celestite have not been quantified at this location {lU)- Other deposits with 550,000 tons of reported reserves have been identified in the Punjab Province {28. p. 13). REPUBLIC OF KOREA Celestite deposits have not been identified in Korea, but its growing electronics and television industry has promp- ted two European companies to enter joint ventures with Korean firms to build production facilities for SrCOs and BaCOs in that country. Kali-Chemie has announced a joint venture witn Samsung Corning Ltd., Korea, to form Daehan Specialty Chemicals Co. Ltd. to build a SrCOs and BaCOs plant on the Korean coast. The plant is to have a pro- duction capacity of 33,000 to 44,000 st/yr of SrCOs and BaCOs combined, which will be targeted for the growing television industry in that country. The black ash method will be used. Kofran Chemical Co., a joint venture between Rhone- Poulenc S.A., France, and Oriental Chemical Industry Ltd., Korea, has been formed to build a SrCOs and BaCOs plant in Inchon. Production of 22,000 st/yr of the two carbonates should be possible. The chemicals produced at this facility will also be targeted for the television industry in the Far East {19). SPAIN Mining Spain is one of the largest producers worldwide. Celestite is produced from the Montevive deposit, which is operated by Herederos de Aurelio Fajardo Vilches, with sales and marketing handled by Bruno S.A. Selective min- ing and hand sorting are all that is necessary to produce ore grades of over 92% SrS04, although a concentration plant is under construction. Reserves are believed to be at least 2.2 million st. Most Spanish production is exported to Japan, although some remains in Spain and some is exported to the Federal Republic of Germany {28, pp. 13-15). Compounds SrCOs and Sr(N03)2 are produced by Promotora de In- dustria de! Sur (Proinsur S.A.) at a combined facility near Granada. The plant has a theoretical design capacity of 8,800 st/yr of carbonate, but has never reached this capaci- ty. SrCOs is produced by the soda ash method. The plant also has a production capacity of about 3,000 st/yr of nitrate, which has not yet been fully utilized {15, p. 40). Most Spanish carbonate is consumed in European and Australian markets; about half of the nitrate is exported to the United States {28, p. 35). TURKEY Turkey competes with Mexico, Spain, and Iran in claim- ing the world's largest strontium reserves. Celestite is pro- duced by Barit Maden Turk AS from a mine near Sivas. Another mine near Sivas was formerly operated by Bilfer Madencilik AS, which is currently reestablishing old conces- 10 sions for future celestite mining. Run-of-mine ore is gravity- separated to produce a product with a minimum of 95% SrS04. Owing to the harsh cHmate in the region, the mine is only operated from May to October. Turkey's identified reserves are placed at 600,000 st, with further reserve potential estimated to be greater than '1 million st. Turkish celestite is primarily exported to the Federal Republic of Germany {20, p. 14). UNITED KINGDOM Celestite deposits, which occur in the Bristol area, are mined by Bristol Minerals Co. Ltd. The ore is crushed, washed, and graded to achieve a product with 95% SrS04. Reserve estimates range from 110,000 to 550,000 st {28, p. 17). This is the one of the few sites where celestite deposits are not in remote locations {12, p. 23), and the deposits are being encroached on by large-scale housing developments, limiting their possible exploitation to the near future. UNITED STATES Mining Although there have been no active celestite mines in the United States since 1959, celestite deposits have been identified nationwide. During World War II, domestic min- ing of celestite resources occurred in Texas and California. U.S. celestite mines had at that time been inactive since World War I, with all demand for strontium minerals being met from foreign sources. Deposits were operated in 1944 near Blanket, Brown County, TX, in Nolan County, TX, in the Fish Mountains in Imperial County, CA, and near Ludlow, CA {16). At that time the major use for strontium chemicals was for pyrotechnic applications such as signal flares and tracer bullets required for the military effort. Immediately follow- ing the war, this demand disappeared, causing domestic production to decrease quickly and eventually taper off to nothing. Resources in the United States have been estimated at 3.5 million st, with an identified reserve base of 1.5 million St. The reserve figure includes material containing no more than 60% SrS04, which is much too low grade to meet today's rigid specifications. In addition to deposits operated in the early 1940's, celestite has been discovei'ed in Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Washmgton {29). Compounds Chemical Products Corp. (CPC) of Cartersville, GA, is the only company that produces strontium compounds from celestite. The majority of the celestite CPC uses is from the Mexican deposits. CPC utilizes the black ash method of SrCOs production at its facility, which is estimated to have an annual production capacity of 11,000 st {28, p. 26). CPC purchased the Sr(N03)2 production facilities from FMC Corp. in Modesto, CA, when that company discontinued production in 1984. The company moved the equipment to Cartersville and now produces SrCNOs)^. Several U.S. companies produce strontium compounds from SrCOs. Mallinkrodt Inc., St. Louis, MO, produces SrCl, and Mineral Pigments Corp., Beltsville, MD, produces SrCrC4. A few other companies produce downstream stron- tium compounds, but on a very small scale. U.S.S.R. Mining Very little is known about Soviet production of stron- tium minerals. Deposits are known in the Karakum Desert on the Zaunguz Plateau; in Permian rock near Bashkir; in the caprocks of the Romy and Isachkov salt domes: in the Pinega area. Archangel province; in Yakutsk, eastern Siberia; and in Turkestan from eastern Fergana to the Cas- pian Sea, and from southeastern Bucharia to the Sea of Aral. Reserves are believed to be very large, but the ore grade is probably not high (21). Compounds No details are available concerning the production of SrCOs in the U.S.S.R. except that there is production, prob- ably from both domestic celestite and imports from Iran and Turkey. SECONDARY SUPPLY There is essentially no secondary supply for strontium or strontium compounds. The only instances of recycling oc- cur in television picture tube plants when an imperfect tube is produced. The faceplate of the tube is removed returned to the glass furnace to be remelted. and SUPPLY-DEMAND RELATIONSHIPS World production of strontium minerals has increased steadily in the past 10 yr, as demand for strontium for color televisions and ferrite magnets for the electronics industry has grown. Mineral production in market economy coun- tries expanded more than 80% between 1977 and 1986, thus increasing supply for the increased demand. Production in- creases reflect trends to greater production from traditional sources as well as recent initiation of production in a new facility in Cyprus. The United States has traditionally been the leading consumer of strontium minerals and com- pounds, but Japan has taken the lead in recent years. Twelve countries including the People's Republic of China and the U.S.S.R. currently produce strontium minerals, primarily celestite. Mexico, Spain, and Turkey are 11 the three largest suppliers of celestite to world markets. Mexico exports the majority of its celestite to the United States, Spain exports most of its celestite to Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany, and Turkey exports most of its celestite to the Federal Republic of Germany and the U.S.S.R. The United States depends entirely on imported minerals, most of which come from Mexico. There has been no U.S. celestite mining for about 30 yr. In recent years U.S. imports of strontium compounds have been rising owing to the increased demand from the television and electronics industries, and the decreased sup- ply due to the closing of the FMC plant in Modesto, CA. in 1985. In 1987, the United States imported about 18,600 st of celestite and about 5,500 st of strontium compounds. Georgia is the only State in which SrCOs is produced, and because there is only one company in production, output is withheld fr(.)m publication to protect company proprietary data. TABLE 5. —Strontium supply-demand relationships, 1977-87 (Short tons contained strontium) 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987' WORLD PRODUCTION Mine production: United States Rest of world (celestite). 44,871 Total 44,871 Shipments of Government stockpile excesses (celestite) Imports (celestite and compounds) 19,800 Industry stocks. Jan. 1 (celestite) Total U.S. supply . . . Distribution of U.S. supply: Exports (celestite and compounds) Industry stocks, Dec. 31 (celestite) Industrial demand (celestite and compounds) 19,000 Television picture tube glass 12.300 Pyrotechnic materials 3,000 Ferrite magnets 900 Ceramics and glass 200 Electrolytic production of zinc 1,300 Pigments 220 Other 1,080 Total demand (celestite and compounds) .... 19,000 ' Estimated. NA Not available. ' Data may not add to total shown ow 44,746 46,664 46,433 60,917 68,386 74,057 68,516 82,737 72,864 86,883 44,746 46,664 46,433 60,917 68,386 74,057 68,516 82,737 72,864 86,883 COfvlPONENTS AND DISTRIBUTION OF U.S. SUPPLY 440 19,800 20,400 22.400 18,800 24,300 15,600 22,400 24,000 20,500 19,200 24,100 4,000 4,800 4,300 6,900 5,600 7,700 6,300 5,900 6,600 8,600 7,100 23,800 25,200 27,140 25,700 29,900 23,300 28,700 29,900 27,100 27,800 31,200 NA NA NA NA 3,000 300 NA NA 19 750 1,750 4,800 4.300 5,040 5.600 7,700 6,300 5,900 6,600 8,600 7,100 9,800 20,900 22,100 20,100 19,200 16,700 22,800 23,300 '18,500 '20,000 '19,700 U.S. DEMAND PATTERN" 13,700 14,000 3,600 3,600 1,000 1,100 250 300 1,500 2,000 250 200 600 900 13,500 2,400 1,000 100 1,000 800 1,300 12,400 10,300 2,800 2,600 1,000 1,200 100 100 800 500 800 700 1,300 1,300 14,600 3,200 1,100 200 900 700 2,100 12,300 3,300 2,600 200 1,400 1,900 1,600 9,600 2,800 2,200 100 1,100 1,500 1,200 12,000 2,000 2,200 100 1,100 1,400 1,200 20,900 22,100 20,100 19,200 16,700 22,800 23,300 18,500 20,000 12,400 2,000 2,200 100 1,000 1,000 1,000 19,700 ng to independent rounding. nv/nkw mini 1 «• FIGURE 3.— Supply-demand relationships for strontium, 1987. All figures in short tons of strontium. 12 TABLE 6.— U.S. imports for consumption of strontium minerals, 1977-87 Country 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 QUANTITY (SHORT TONS) Canada China Madagascar . . . Mexico Spain Sweden Turkey United Kingdom U.S.S.R 42,968 (') 18 41,289 183 43,406 367 37,817 829 (') 48,046 1,653 74 32,992 9 (') 47,007 2,789 (') 46,873 1,978 37,552 348 30,904 1,983 297 42,172 Total 42,986 41,289 43,956 38,646 49,699 33,075 49,796 48,851 37,552 33,235 42,469 VALUE (THOUSANDS) Canada China . $1,885 $8 2,304 22 $2,086 60 1 $2,937 269 $7 2,042 8 $1 3,080 626 $1 3,940 352 $3,321 $64 $2,991 342 $38 Madagascar Mexico $1,913 $3 636 Spain Sweden 1 Turkey United Kingdom U.S.S.R 1 Total 1,915 1,885 2,334 2,147 3,206 2,057 3,707 4,293 3,321 3,397 3,674 ' Less than 1 unit. Source: Bureau of the Census. U.S. supply-demand relationships are summarized in table 5, and 1987 relationships are illustrated in figure 3. U.S. demand for strontium products in 1987 was estimated at 19,100 st; television picture tubes comprised about 63% of consumption, ferrite magnets 11%; pyrotechnic material 10%; and other uses 16%. U.S. demand was approximately 25% of world strontium production. Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany also account for large shares of world demand for strontium. Statistics for production of SrCOs are not available for most countries, because of the small size of the industry when compared to other commodities. U.S. imports of strontium minerals and compounds have fluctuated, reflecting changes in the structure of the domestic industry. The closing of the FMC facility in 1985 caused a large drop in the amount of imported celestite, but since then CPC has expanded production of SrCOs and com- menced production of Sr(N03)2. Owing to these factors, im- ports of Mexican celestite are approaching the levels reached before the FMC shutdown. Imports of other stron- tium compounds have also increased in response to the lost production capacity from the FMC closing. Tables 6-8 show the trend in imports of strontium minerals and compounds since 1977. TABLE 7. — U.S. imports for consumption of strontium metal, unwrought, 1980-87 (All imports are from Canada except as indicated by footnote 1) Year Pounds Value 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 38,651 $334,653 33,382 330,571 14,633 137,070 1,991 22,790 1.424 17,980 9,052 86,160 50,928 467,759 1987' 82,735 749,026 ' Includes 11 pounds valued at $1,220 from the United Kingdom. Source: Bureau of the Census. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The only application for strontium in which active, well- publicized research has occurred recently is in superconduc- tors. Superconducting properties were identified in SrO at the National Bureau of Standards in 1964 (5), but not until the discovery of high-temperature superconductors in early 1987 did more extensive research continue. The recent work with high-temperature materials has attracted attention from the media and aroused interest in developing these materials, which hold so much promise. Research being conducted at the University of Houston and the National Research Institute for Metals in Tsukuba, Japan, has identified a material containing strontium that exhibits superconducting properties at a temperature higher than that of liquid nitrogen. Superconducting materials that are currently being used must be cooled with much more expensive liquid helium to reach a temperature low enough to cause superconductivity {UJi). Although this research holds promise, many problems must be overcome for superconductivity to achieve widespread use. The earliest high-temperature materials are extremely brittle and have a low current-carrying capacity. To apply these materials in a practical fashion, they must be flexible enough to form wires that can be wound into coils, and current-carrying capacity must increase dramatically. Choice of substrate material, the material onto which the superconductor is applied, is a critical factor also. During processing, the superconductor must maintain its crystal structure and not diffuse with the substrate. Strontium titanate is one of the preferred substrate materials, but it is very expensive and some interdiffusion occurs. The superconducting materials containing strontium ex- hibit improved characteristics over the earlier compounds containing barium, but further research has identified other materials that appear even more promising. As research progresses, new materials will be formulated and discarded in quicker succession. It may be years before the optimum material composition for these superconductors is deter- mined, and strontium materials may be long rejected for such use by them {2Jt). TABLE 8.-U.S. Imports for consumption of strontium coupounds, 1977-87 Country 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 STRONTIUM CARBONATE. NOT PRECIPITATED Quantily. lb Canada Getfnany. Federal Republic of 39.802 39.683 1,500 79,366 11.023 58 34 39.683 38 436 39,683 84,000 39.683 186.384 39.682 44,092 Spain 34,172 United Ki ngdom Total 39,802 39,683 80,866 11.081 34 39,721 163.802 186,384 39,682 78,264 Value: Canada $6,233 $500 14.765 $2,571 2.275 $1,745 $11,047 3.764 $345 11.233 23,880 9.423 $51,256 $11,663 Germany, Mexico Federal Republic of $6,388 $10,948 Spain 1,875 United Ki ngdom 6,233 13 STRONTIUM CARBONATE, PRECIPITATED Quanlity, lb: Canada China France Germany. Federal Republic of Japan Mexico Netherlands United Kingdom 131,484 12.139 14,294 317,462 158.733 119.049 62.059 2.2C5 829,547 37,478 1,596.117 2.292.716 6.521,008 7,682,615 4,118.201 4.485.345 2,864,676 938,007 5,586,138 9,676.889 8,208,672 10.120.618 C 11,670 75.527 354.200 244,100 3.739.467 4.263.566 2.557 39,682 3,120 5 1 2 3 12 5,143 27 41,798 Total 2,564,343 6,533,152 7,699,115 4,435,665 6,121,147 2,867,808 943,150 6,928,618 10,077,516 11,948.166 14,437.652 alue: Canada China France Germany, Federal Republic of Japan Mexico Nettierlands United Kingdom Total $24,850 12,481 364,387 13,035 663 $6,144 1,190,818 528 $7,147 565 1,498,128 399 $70,560 920,465 364 $365,442 1,117,482 9.826 $797,280 3,010 1,864 $290,620 8.007 $65,935 253,331 1.577.834 130.219 $35,169 11,003 2.955.649 $2,247,425 $3,247,927 64,800 931,557 2,536 8,982 1,139.916 27,321 415.416 1.197,490 1,506,239 991,389 1.493.636 802.154 298,627 2,028,319 3,066,621 3,181,518 4,424.146 STRONTIUM CHROMATE Quantity, lb: Belgium Canada France Germany. Federal Republic of Italy Poland Spain United Kingdom Total 5,291 154,102 101.853 21,826 553.800 623.410 420.370 483.525 867,750 462,815 53,010 29,765 41,667 6.070 27,006 235,284 222,655 207,154 41,005 160,932 661 39.683 14.318 3,337 13.228 260.541 59,524 39,684 17.637 35,274 28,660 147,647 187.714 46.297 228 10.155 4.698 453 10,400 483.525 873.820 539.641 330.446 827.14 Belgium Canada France Germany. Federal Republic of Italy Poland Spain United Kingdom Total $461,019 1.561 $591,987 18.824 $435,630 7.485 $525,411 $1,041,755 7,939 $634,893 27,714 10,427 21,199 2.073 $59,131 240,994 5,588 31,034 10.788 $5,941 224,149 19,340 161 879 13.574 $149,580 231.333 244,541 19,456 212,206 $266,510 49.275 53.017 53,592 2,432 462.580 610,811 443.115 525.411 1,049,694 696,306 347,535 424,883 STRONTIUM NITRATE $26,628 41,509 198 080 47,305 11,218 857,116 424,826 324,740 Quantily, lb: Canada , , f^rance Germany, Federal Republic of Ireland Italy Mexico Spain Switzerland United Kingdom 80,000 200,932 158,731 513,672 425 220 1,872 3,085,558 29 816.363 2,334 24,681 5 1,228 363,200 41.887 13 815.414 45,194 970,517 865,619 882 935.633 2.427.631 1.320 975.865 2.103,227 88,184 79,971 Total Value, Canada France Germany. Federal Republic of Ireland Italy Mexico Spain Switzerland United Kingdom Total $18,400 61,319 $49,591 128.278 $391 533 4,326 792,467 $628 269,100 $7,920 766,236 $5,774 136,160 14,007 874 $351,230 15.622 $417,918 325,233 $3,014 371,571 956,496 $6,389 398,385 816,793 41,762 35.841 1,357 1,183,671 2.205 481.708 280.932 672,403 3.088,075 816,392 2.127.020 406,328 860,608 1,836,136 3,364,146 3.248,567 1,668,941 $8,675 512,396 2,000 244,859 79.719 177,869 156.815 366.852 743,151 1,341,081 1,299,170 767,930 STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS, OTHER Quantily. lb: Belgium Canada Ctiina France Germany. Federal Republic of Hong Kong Italy Japan Netherlands Spain United Kingdom 882 46,495 31.262 1 30,824 199.387 960 79.366 44.383 22 22.121 50,484 276,899 44.489 3 82.460 45.205 577 51.749 68.342 1,705 4.000 8,973 44.092 771 18.963 24.246 366 39,683 16,983 441 22,391 157,364 7.726 44.754 65,150 58,863 261,795 22.157 407.407 110 792,582 247,489 66 6,342 3.429 37.478 2.709.526 546,742 694 31,838 Total Value: Belgium Canada China France Germany. Federal Republic of Hong Kong Italy Japan Netherlands , , Spain United Kingdom 78,640 354.942 393,996 128,242 121,796 57,836 100,241 187,922 452,719 1,453,996 3,329,707 $2,498 39,663 13,961 326 $1,599 97.380 475 17,631 22.295 2.443 $1,480 69,915 65,419 28,544 540 $66,421 32.922 1.783 $16,501 49,475 10.484 $5,040 16,523 32.693 1.273 $21,132 13,698 4.453 14.028 21.411 $390 22.913 109.954 11.598 $45,026 5,693 55,379 175.069 29.695 $43,407 1 439 244,367 180,311 1,237 14,857 $29,409 4,161 179.372 1,260,403 5.575 54,892 Total 56.448 141.823 165.898 101.126 76.460 55.529 74.722 144.855 310.862 485.618 1.533.812 Source. Bureau of the Census. 14 LEGISLATION AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS Tariffs Tariffs levied against specific imported strontium com- pounds are listed in table 9. An ad valorem tariff is calculated as a percentage of the value of the goods passed through customs. Most Favored Nation treatment provides to all trading partners the same customs and tariff treat- ment given to all countries that fall into that category. The United States applies this provision to all trading partners except those specifically excluded by law. Coun- tries that are legally excluded from Most Favored Nation status are Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, the German Democratic Republic, Kampuchea, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Poland, the U.S.S.R., and Vietnam. The International Trade Commission has investigated allegations pertaining to the dumping of Sr(N03)2 from Italy twice in the last 10 yr. The Commission unanimously deter- mined in 1980 that reasonable indications existed that U.S. industry was materially injured or threatened by injury, by reason of imports of strontium nitrate from Italy. These im- ports were deemed to be sold in the United States at less than fair value (8). An antidumping duty order was in- stituted at that time; the order was revoked in 1984 {9). TABLE 9.— Applicable tariffs for strontium minerals and compounds, January 1, 1987 TSUS Most Favored Item No. Nation (MFN) Non-MFN Compounds: Carbonate: Not precipitated . . 421.70 Free Free. Precipitated 421.72 4.2% ad val. ... 25% ad val. Nitrate 421.74 4.2% ad val. ... 25% ad val. Oxide 421.76 4.2% ad val. ... 25% ad val. Minerals: Celestite 421.82 Free Free. Other 421.84 3.7% ad val. . . . 25% ad val. Other 421.86 3.7% ad val. . . . 25% ad val. ad val. Ad valorem. A similar allegation was investigated in 1987. The Com- mission determined that no dumping occurred during the period in question, June 1, 1985, to May 31, 1986. No an- tidumping duties were assessed (10). Depletion Allowance Depletion allowance is a proportion of a company's in- come derived from mining or oil production that is con- sidered to be a return of capital not subject to income tax. Depletion allowance is 22% for domestic strontium and 14% for foreign strontium. Government Stockpile During World War II, demand for strontium nitrate and other pyrotechnic chemicals expanded dramatically. At that time almost all celestite was imported from England and Germany. The supply from Germany was cut off long before the United States entered the war, and the supply from England was not very reliable owing to shipping problems associated with the war. For this reason exploration began in Mexico, and recommendations were made to amass a Government stockpile of the material necessary for the war effort. When the stockpile was initiated in 1942, the SrS04 con- tent of the celestite was specified at 92%, with a maximum of 4% each of BaS04 and CaS04. The most recent specifica- tions issued in September 1960, required the material to contain at least 95% SrS04 with less than 1.5% CaS04 and less than 2% BaS04. In 1963 a stockpile of celestite was determined to be unnecessary, and the General Services Ad- ministration began selling stockpile-grade as well as non- stockpile-grade celestite. In 1974 the last of the stockpile- grade material was sold. Since that time there have been virtually no sales of celestite from that remaining in the stockpile. The material is all well below stockpile specifications; all of it contains less than 91% SrS04 and more than 4% CaS04, and some con- tains almost 10% CaS04. The low grade of the celestite makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to sell. STRATEGIC FACTORS Stockpile Status The National Defense Stockpile currently contains 13,415 st of celestite, all of which has been designated for disposal. The celestite in the stockpile, which is all low grade, has been valued at about $201,000. Under current policy celestite is to be eliminated from the stockpile. Import Dependence The United States is dependent on imports of celestite minerals. There is production of strontium compounds in the United States, but the raw materials for strontium pro- duction are 100% imported. The source for these minerals is almost exclusively Mexico. The fact that Mexico is the major U.S. supplier of stron- tium minerals does not lessen the import dependence, but does indicate that the country's sources are relatively secure. U.S. supplies are less vulnerable than if the source was more distant, or in a country with less friendly status than is the case between the United States and Mexico. Diversification of supply to other low-cost producers could offer some protection against future disruptions of supply. Development of domestic resources would decrease import dependence, but known deposits are not sufficiently large or of high enough quality to warrant such development unless an emergency situation cuts off U.S. supplies of celestite. 15 REFERENCES 1. Abbe. P. 0. 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Mar. 31. 1988, 1 p. 39. U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan. USBM Study; High Tech Defense Material Supply. State De)). Telegram 09.360. Apr. 28, 1988. 1 p. 40. U.S. Embassy. Mexico City. Mexico. Strontium Ore Produc- tion in Mexico. State Dep. Telegram 08752, Apr. 14, 1988, 2 pp. 41. U.S. Embassy, Rome, Italy. Italian Supplies of High Tech Defense Material. State Dep. Telegram 10195, Apr. 27. 1988, I p. 42. L'.S. Embassy. Tokyo. Japan. .lapanese Data on (Jallium. In- dium, Silicon, and Strontium. State Def). Telegram 10820, .lune 9, 1988. p. 2. 43. Wagner. R. G. (jlass as a CRT P"al)rii'ation Material in the 1980s. Glass, V. 63. No. 6. 1986, pp. 191-192. 44. Waldrop. M. Superconductors Hotter Yet. Science, v. 239. 1988, p. 730. 45. Weast, C. (ed.). Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. The Chemical Rubber Co.. 1971. pp. B-31. B- 142-8- 143, B-187. H-192. B-196. C 254 89 «-l°^ >^. ^^•n^.. V ^^9^' <> *'7Vi» .^0 .•lo*. /*.. V"^^''/' 'V^'V'.. 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