emerging trends in the industry deriving fluorine from

Copyright © 2013 - AD PROCESS STRATEGIES SARL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Emerging trends in the industry – deriving fluorine

from phosphate

Alain Dreveton (Eng. INSA Toulouse, DEA)

AD Process Strategies SARL

Rue Chaponnière 9 CH-1201 Geneva / Switzerland

[email protected]

www.adpro-stg.com

mailto:[email protected]




Emerging trends in the industry – deriving fluorine from phosphate

General trends in mining sectors of fluorspar and phosphate

Re-industrialization of the fluorine industry outside China?

FSA as a potential source of HF

Cost comparison between FSA and fluorspar as source of HF


HF, Closure Amherstburg, Overcapacity China, New cap.

Aluminium fluoride, Overcapacity China, New cap.

STF affected by crisis of Solar Industry

HFO-1234yf replaces HFC-134a

Markets overview: drivers & News


HFC-125, etc

PVDF

LiPF6 & Li-based Electrolytes

LiPF6, US plant cancelled

FEC

NF3, F2, UHP HF

Battery, Solar, Polymers

CDM HFC-23 another scandal to come

Safety issues

Environmental issues

Markets overview: drivers & News


F abundance

Fluorine as

abundant as P,

C, S, Mn,…

more abundant

than Cl, Cu,…

Not qualified of

critical

Exploration?


Three raw materials

Fluoride from Fluorspar

Fluoride from DUF6

Fluoride from Phosphate


Fluorspar

Fluoride from Fluorspar

CASE OF EUROPE

Production in Spain, Germany, UK, Bulgaria

Exploration in Sweden, France, Germany, etc (& Norway)..

AD Process Strategies promotes up to 10 fluorspar projects

- Largest is up to 20 millions tonnes

- At early stage of development to the level of feasibility study

- Know-how is available


DUF6

Babcock Wilcox plants operating in Piketon (OH) & Paducah (KY)

INTL Isotopes (another project under planning still to come using

Starmet patents)

Rosatom commissions a small plant for DHF and AHF using Areva

know-how


DUF6


Fluoride from phosphate



AGF

G. Wengfu 20’000 MTPA AHF (…future 80’000?)

Dazhou 10’000 MTPA AHF

Zijin 20’000 MTPA AHF

G. Kailin 20’000 MTPA AHF

Hubei Xingfa 3 x 20’000 MTPA AHF

At least 2 more cooperations in Yunnan, China

STF

PCS Phosphate/ SunEdison (MEMC) 30’000 MTPA STF (US)

AlF3 & Fluoride

wet process not discussed



The largest phosphate producers have studied HF from FSA

Morocco, Jordan, RSA, KSA, etc and

none have implemented the technology?

AD Process Strategies

is in touch with this industry

for potential projects



General trends in mining sectors of fluorspar and phosphate

Phosphate industry is expanding in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,

China, etc

Mega project are financed by International Institutions, Consortium of

Banks…

Fluorspar are smaller projects promoted by Juniors / start-up

companies

Established companies are strengthening their positions

Technology not yet assimilated


Process HF and AlF3 from fluosilicic acid 1G


Process HF and AlF3 from fluosilicic acid

Phosphate

Production

(fluorochemical

production)

Generation

of AHF

4G

- Standalone plant at Phosphate site

- Removal of water

Safe & cheap

Transportation

- Standalone plant at End-user site

- On-demand production AHF

- Safe, no byproduct, no pollution,..


Economics of FSA versus CaF2 - assumptions

Capacity 20’000 MTPA AHF, typical case

Capital cost estimated for Emerging Countries

Plant & Utilities as required

Prices eg raw materials, chemicals per end 2012

Logistics for shipping overseas

Interest rate @7.5% per annum

All assumptions for Emerging Countries

Economics (as a function of price of AGF 97% CaF2 Min)

Economics (as a function of price of FSA 100% H2SiF6)


Economics of HF from fluorspar - features

High mining costs for fluorspar exploration, mining,

Beneficiation,..

Fluorspar is expensive

Sulphuric acid & oleum are consumed

End-use for anhydrite gypsum is required

Fluorspar technology is mature, cost effective

Plant is Standalone

Site preferably at mine, at harbor for AlF3

Site preferably at end-user site for AHF


Economics of HF from fluosilicic acid - features

Savings of significant high mining costs

Recovery of fluosilicic acid >~ 21%

Technology relatively new

Raw material are free except ATF for AlF3 manufacture

Fluosilicic acid can be cheap

Sulphuric acid is not consumed

No critical waste – Silica is a potential product

Chillers for cooling water are included

Plant is Not Standalone as large volume of diluted sulphuric

acid has to be fed to the Phosphoric acid plant

Arsenic removal is required for AHF manufacture only

AHF containment tank and fleet of ISO tank containers required


Information on fluorspar (AGF) price

China USD/MT 263.-

October 2013


Competitive advantage

only against (2) and (3) for

Phosphoric Acid Producers

(FSA is free)

FSA cheap

(1) AGF mine owner

(2) (2) AGF actual price in China (OK)

(3) AGF traded on World Market (OK)

Economics of hydrofluoric acid

(2)

(1)

(AGF) (3)

(FSA)


Economics of hydrofluoric acid (2)

(2)

(1)

(AGF) (3)

(FSA)

Not competitive against

fluorspar mine owners

FSA medium price

(FSA purchased)

(1) No advantage versus AGF

mine owner (In China or outside)

(2) In competition with AGF in China

(3) Competitive versus

AGF traded on World Market


Economics of hydrofluoric acid (3)

(2)

(1)

(AGF) (3)

(FSA)

Not competitive

FSA too high price

(FSA purchased)

(1) No advantage versus AGF

mine owner (I/O China)

(2) In competition with AGF in China

(3) Competitive versus

AGF traded on World Market


Economics of FSA versus CaF2 - safety

Fatal accident in South Korea

Killed 5

Derailment in USA


AHF containment tank and fleet of ISO tank containers

- Safety first -

Economics of hydrofluoric acid - safety


Economics of HF - conclusions

Better is production of AlF3 w or w/o HF

FSA Capacity is an advantage

AlF3 producers (AGF) non integrated are at risk

Recommend to study in detail projects

Locate downstream productions at fertilizer sites eg HFCs

Plan environmental units from early conceptual stage

Alliances / JV to favor for AHF


THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us!

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emerging trends in the industry deriving fluorine from

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