COMMENT :
Analysts indicate, aluminium to substitute
copper depending on relative prices of
other metals
That the aluminium industry will be too welcoming of any shift of copper use into its
domain is understandable in view of the prospect of capacity idled earlier when the metal
sank to low levels early last year coming back into production stream and very large
capacity in the pipeline or under active consideration. Now 10 new smelters of combined
capacity of 2.8 MT are under construction. But 40 smelters of a total capacity of 18.2
MT also remain at advanced stages of planning and financial closure. How well aluminium
will fare at any given time will depend on the demand generation from user segments.
SPECIAL COVERAGE
Aluminium market heading for
a big surplus in 2010
Reuters reported that the global aluminium market is
heading for a big surplus this year as demand continues to
be outpaced by supply. Mr Angus MacMillan independent
consultant said that demand is expected to pick up, but it's
hard to escape the conclusion that the market will be in a
substantial surplus this year. He expects most of that surplus
to show up in London Metal Exchange warehouse stocks,
which have been falling recently from record highs.
NEWS CORNER
Most modern SMS Meer CONTIROD®
plant in China successfully started up at
Amer Tongling
In autumn 2009, the Chinese copper wire rod producer,
Amer Copper Technology (Tongling) Co. Ltd., a company
belonging to Amer International Group (AMER),
commissioned its CONTIROD® CR 3500 continuous copper
wire rod plant. The plant, supplied by SMS Meer, Germany,
is designed for an annual capacity of 225,000 t of rolled
wire rod.
FuYang JinDing orders an integrated casting and rolling plant of the CONTIROD® type for the production of copper wire rod
FuYang JingDing Non-Ferrous Metal Material Ltd.,
China, a company belonging to XinXing Pipes and a
manufacturer of high-quality steel pipes, has placed an order
with SMS Meer, Germany, for the supply of a complete
plant for the production of copper wire rod.
SMS Meer commissions ERW tube
welding line at Arvedi
SMS Meer, Germany, has successfully commissioned
a 12 ¾” ERW tube welding line for heavy wall thicknesses
at Arvedi Tube Acciaio S.p.A. in Cremona, Italy. Only one
year was needed, thanks to the excellent cooperation, from
excavation of the foundations to the successful
commissioning. The line already achieved high production
shortly after completion.
IN FOCUS
Chinalco aims to boost foray in copper
Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), the leader
of the country's aluminium industry, is shifting its
development focus to copper, which has greater growth
potential in China than aluminium, a senior executive said.
Chinalco, shrugging off the setback of its failed investment
bid last year in global mining giant Rio Tinto, was studying
global copper resources for investment opportunities, Vice-
President Lu Youqing told Reuters in an interview.
India to have 2 MT surplus aluminium for export by 2013
The aluminium industry in India may be moving towards
over capacity, since supply is likely to grow in excess of
demand going forward. Considering that all aluminium
projects would begin commercial production with expanded
capacity as planned, there could be at least two million
tonnes of additional capacity for exports by 2013. “India’s
aluminium production will more than treble to 4.4 million
tonnes by mid-2012 with new capacities coming on stream,
along with requisite captive power generation capacities,”
stated a Fitch Rating report recently.
Roller-hearth furnace facility
for solution heat treating
aluminum alloy rod, bar stock
and profiled sections
SA needs cheap electricity for
growth and jobs
Faced with the double crunch of harsh electricity tariff
increases and capacity shortfalls for the foreseeable future,
there is a school of thought that SA should rather move
towards a service-based economy that is less power- hungry.
Service-driven economies are, however, largely dependent
on domestic demand, which in turn is fuelled by a reasonable
standard of living for citizens. They require the export of
services on a substantial scale to fund the manufactured and
other goods required by their population. These conditions
do not apply in SA.
High Alumina aggregates from sillimanite sand : icrostructure
and thermal shock behaviour
Different high alumina aggregates were developed
from sillimanite sand by reaction sintering with alumina.
Dense aggregates were developed in the temperature
range 1500º C to 1600ºC. Aggregates were characterized
by density, thermal expansion, microstructure, flexural
strength and thermal shock resistance. Thermal shock
behaviour was evaluated by measuring the flexural
strength retention properties using multiple thermal
shock quench cycle from 1000ºC to room temperature
ambient air. Al2O3/SiO2 ratio and additives greatly affect
the densification mechanism and microstructure
development of the aggregates which eventually control
the properties and thermal shock behaviour. Silica rich
composition with higher amount of vitreous phase shows
lower thermal shock resistance than the mullite and
alumina rich composition.
SEMINAR & EXHIBITIONS
More than 20 countries to
participate in 'Aluminium India
2010' in Mumbai
At the Bombay Exhibition Centre, aluminium
manufacturers, aluminium processors, technology suppliers
as well as end consumers will come together –
ALUMINIUM INDIA will display the entire value creation
chain for this material. More than 100 exhibitors from 20
countries will present themselves a few weeks from now
at ALUMINIUM INDIA 2010 in Mumbai. The trade fair
had its premiere in one of the fastest growing aluminium
markets only last year. Now the second edition is to follow
from 25 to 27 February.
COMPANY PROFILE
Alba ‘remains focused on growth'
Aluminum Bahrain (Alba) has taken concrete steps
in addressing the threats posed by the economic crisis,
and remains focused on continued growth, said its
chairman Mahmood Hashim Kooheji. Kooheji was
speaking at the 'Gulf Industry Forum,' held on the
sidelines of region's key industrial event Gulf Industry
Fair in Bahrain.
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