Beryllium demand to decline

World demand for beryllium is expected to decline in 2002, according to a report from London-based Roskill Information Services.

The Economics of Beryllium (sixth edition) says demand is contracting in the telecommunications equipment market, the largest end-user of beryllium. Eventually, however, this decline should be offset by rising demand for beryllium-copper strip for automotive electronics and computers.

The report describes how, beginning in the early 1990s, supply and demand trends began to change, beginning with a sharp decline in demand for beryllium metal in defence applications.

Today, U.S.-based Brush Wellman is the largest producer of beryllium; its mines in the Spur Mountain region of Utah accounted for 93% of world output in 2000.

The other main source in the U.S. is the National Defense Stockpile (NDS), which, in 1980, held 16,330 tonnes of beryl, 7,167 tonnes of beryllium-copper master alloys (BCMA) and 363 tonnes of beryllium metal. By September 2000, the NDS held 8,780 tonnes of beryllium ore, 2036 tonnes of BCMA and 322 tonnes of beryllium metal. All beryllium products held in the NDS are intended for sale, with the exception of 45 tonnes of beryllium metal.

The Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP) in Oskemen, Kazakstan, resumed production of refined beryllium metal from stockpiled ore in 2000.

The other main source of beryllium is China, where state-owned companies are thought to mine around 500 tonnes of beryl ores per year, containing roughly 20 tonnes of beryllium.

Consumption of beryllium-copper products should continue to rise for undersea communications equipment, as will demand for pipe products in the oil and gas industry. However, consumption of beryllium metal is unlikely to rise appreciably, as alternative materials, such as newly developed beryllium alloys, aluminum and titanium, are less expensive. In the longer term, beryllium oxide consumption should continue to grow steadily, especially in the computer industry, where increasing operating speeds generate progressively larger amounts of heat.

Beryllium-aluminum alloys are becoming increasingly important in terms of beryllium consumption because of the amount of beryllium they contain — up to 65%, compared with the 0.5%-2% typically present in beryllium-copper. Both Starmet and Brush Wellman have developed beryllium-aluminum alloys that have a wide range of applications ranging from aerospace to computers.

Quadrem among top 100 e-businesses

Quadrem, the on-line marketplace for mining, minerals and metals, has been named one of the top 100 organizations using technology to improve business.

The list was compiled by the weekly magazine InfoWorld, which covers electronic technology.

The companies on the list represent 11 industries and reflect a decrease in so-called dot-coms. Quadrem ranked 32 and is one of four “e-marketplaces” on the list.

“It’s simply a recognition of a lot of hard work,” says Michael Efting, Quadrem’s chief executive officer.