Magnesite
Magnesite (MgCO₃) is calcined into caustic-calcined and dead-burned magnesia that line basic oxygen and electric-arc furnaces which are still irreplaceable for steel refractories. China controls ~70 % of capacity but has tightened quotas and emissions rules, sending buyers to Turkey, Brazil and Australia. As steelmakers pursue circularity, spent MgO-C brick recycling and fused-grain re-firing are supplementing virgin supply and reducing landfill.
Supply Dynamics
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Liaoning (CN) quotas cap output at 18 Mt py; environmental audits shutter small sinter kilns.
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Turkey’s Kütahya and Brazil’s Brumado deposits ramp exports to EU steel mills.
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Australian magnesite projects courting green-energy calcination to win ESG premiums.
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Closed-loop brick recycling could meet 10-15 % of EAF magnesia by 2030.
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Freight rates and kiln energy costs dominate delivered price; natural-gas volatility particularly impacts fused grades.
Demand Dynamics
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Steel output drives >70 % of magnesia demand; EAF share lifts fused-grain needs.
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Hydrogen-DRI pilots increase demand for high-purity, low-carbon MgO refractories.
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Magnesium-cement boards gain traction in fire-resistant construction.
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Flue-gas desulfurisation and animal-feed grades provide stable, low-margin outlet.
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Price sensitivity varies: refractory demand is volume-driven; board and feed markets chase cost.