The global high purity aluminium market is marked by a handful of leading manufacturers that has sophisticated refining machinery to sustainably produce high purity aluminium. The refining technology of these manufacturers remains competitive in terms of removal of impurities such as silicon, iron, and copper and reducing concentrations of alpha emitters such as uranium and thorium, according to a new report available with Fact.MR, titiled: ‘High Purity Aluminium Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Review 2018 to 2027.’

Although aluminium element finds application in multiple industries due to its beneficial alloy properties, recent decades have witnessed the production of high purity aluminium for specific applications. High purity aluminium is highly sought after in the semiconductor industry and other applications such as electrolytic capacitor foils and electronic storage systems. According to the end users’ requirement specifications, manufacturers in the high purity aluminium market deliver high purity aluminium in different forms such as foil, sheet, plate, pellet, ingots, billets, wires, rods or disks. Manufacturers also deliver high purity aluminium products for research and other commercial applications.

With the higher level of electrical conductance, application of high purity aluminium has intensified in recent years and can be now found in every displays, memory chips, memory drives of smartphones, computers, tablets and LED screens of other devices. Exponentially rising utilisation of high purity aluminium in electronics and technical applications is estimated to augur well for the growth of the high purity aluminium market.

EGA starts production at UAE’s first alumina refinery

Sharp-eyed analysis of the changing global needs and consumption of high purity aluminium are few of the prime factors impacting the growth of the market. The recent restrictions enacted by Trump’s Administrations on steel and aluminium import in the US and its predictable influence on the global aluminium market is another important factor to be considered.

Derived from bauxite ore, based on purity levels, high purity aluminium finds application in multiple industries. Notable demand for the highly pure material is observed in electronics, chemical and high purity alloy sectors. Purity of high purity aluminium ranges from 99.99 per cent to 99.999 per cent which is also referred to as 4N to 6N. Manufacturing titans use three-layer electrolysis as well as the segregation or the fractional crystallisation methods to refine aluminium.

Electronics Industry to Boost Market Growth

The electronics industry has witnessed a steady growth in past decade. Currently, the industry is helmed by Asian countries including India, China, and Malaysia. Due to its intrinsic properties, the highly pure `metal finds application in the manufacturing of electrolytic capacitor foils, high purity alumina (HPA), the semiconductor industry, photovoltaic cells, TFT LCD applications, decorative uses or for electronic storage systems. Its utilisation becomes irreplaceable for the industry as the metal provide high electric and thermal conductance as well as low tensile strength.

To address the increasing requirements of high purity aluminium, manufacturers are enhancing their capacities and personnel in metallurgy, application technology, metal purification, as well as trace analysis. As electronic industry significantly penetrates in other end-user industries, demand for stated electronics components is set to rise. Owing to this, the market for high purity aluminium is likely to witness persistent growth in future.

STEADY BAUXITE

Top global locations popular for surplus bauxite resources includes Australia, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Russia and Republic of Suriname. Individual regional analysis has reported accretive growth of bauxite extraction in the fiscal year 2017 worldwide. For instance, the Mines Ministry of Guinea reported production of 5 million tonnes of bauxite from one of Guinea’s largest mines per year from 2019. This represents a threefold increase in bauxite production by 2020 in Western African countries.

Although China reported highest bauxite export in 2017, air pollution crackdowns may influence the future alumina and bauxite demand. Amidst this scenario, steady bauxite extraction was witnessed globally and is estimated to rise in future. According to the World Bureau of Metal Statistics, world bauxite production is projected to grow at the rate of 8 per cent annually in 2018 and 2019, and to reach 337 million tonnes by the end of 2019. In addition, helmed by China, world alumina production and consumption also witnessed a rise in 2017. Thus, stable bauxite extraction and growing high purity aluminium demand is likely to influence the market growth in near future.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Showa Denko KK (SDK), a leading Japanese chemical engineering firm has enhanced production capacities of high-purity aluminium foil in China in 2017. High purity aluminium foil is one of the most prominent materials of aluminium electrolytic capacitor. The SDK expansion is aimed at responding to the rising demand for aluminum electrolytic capacitors worldwide.

Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian aluminium company that operates throughout Brazilian aluminium chain has recently announced reduction in alumina production by 50 per cent. Alunorte which is owned by Norsk Hydro by 92.1 per cent of shares, delivered lesser alumina to Albras due to reported residue leakage. Hence, Albras which is owned by Norsk Hydro by 51 per cent of shares reported significant decline in production.

Altech Chemicals Ltd, an Australia-based leading supplier of highly pure alumina (HPA), has applied for manufacturing license application to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in Malaysia. The company has plans to produce HPA from kaolin clay supplied from Altech’s kaolin plant based in Western Australia.

To address the rising demand from end-users, industry titans are focusing on enhancing production capacities with respect to delivery of refined, reliable and defined material quality which is a prerequisite to meet intense competition in the global market.