World graphite production improved somewhat in 2000 to reach 645,000 tonnes, after averaging less than 600,000 tonnes per year from 1992-1999, according to a report by London-based Roskill Information Services.
The Economics of Natural Graphite points out that graphite consumption in the early 1990s fell at an annual rate of 75,000 tonnes, bottoming out in 1995. The downturn was due to a decline in industrial manufacturing, reduced graphite usage in steel and ceramic making, and the use of synthetic graphite as a substitute.
One the upside, graphite usage in batteries shows significant growth potential in both the U.S. and Asia, and the manufacture of fuel cells may also cause demand to pick up.
Demand from manufacturers of batteries and fuel cells accounts for 12-15,000 tonnes of graphite per year, and some analysts predict this could rise to 100,000 tonnes, or 15% of global production.
Graphite is used mostly in bricks or ceramics in refractory linings, which accounts for 45% of global production.
Early estimates for 2001 put production of graphite at around 675,000 tonnes, an 11% increase over 2000.
China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Korea account for 75% of the world’s graphite production, with China owning the lion’s share at 40%.
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