China is going to become the world’s biggest fused alumina manufacturer. China, Russia, and India are the three biggest consumption markets of fused alumina.
There are two types of fused alumina –corundum, also called naturally fused alumina, and (synthetic) fused alumina. Corundum is pure Al2O3. The major mineral constituent of synthetic fused alumina is physically fused alumina. Brown fused alumina, white fused alumina, Pink fused alumina, zirconia alumina, black fused alumina, single-crystalline fused alumina, and microcrystalline alumina belong to synthetic fused alumina. Brown fused alumina is made by high-quality bauxite as the main material, fusing and purifying in a pouring electric arc furnace. White Fused Alumina is produced by fusing calcined alumina in an electric arc furnace under carefully controlled conditions.
Industry analysts point out that the abrasives industry has been regarded as the “Industrial teeth”. It has an intimate relationship with the equipment manufacturing industry, the aeronautics and astronautics industry, shipbuilding, new energy, auto, home appliance, and the electronic information industry. Currently, China, India, and Russia are the three biggest consumption market of synthetic fused alumina. China is expected to become the world’s biggest synthetic fused alumina manufacturer.
Most of China’s fused alumina products target low-end market. The products’ technological content is low, and there is a huge gap when compared with international standards. Currently, China’s fused alumina products can only meet 30% of the industry demand.
Fused alumina has certain hardness and toughness so that it can be processed into particles with different sizes that have high-temperature stability and chemical stability. The Moh’s hardness value of brown fused alumina is 9, second to diamond. Both brown fused alumina and white fused alumina are major materials to produce bonded abrasives and advanced refractory materials. They can also be used for anti-skidding, lapping, casting, and advanced ceramics.
In 2013, China’s fused alumina sales revenue reached RMB18,380,000,000, 8.9% increase on year-on-year basis. In 2012, the figure was RMB16,882,000,000, and the increase rate was 40.4%.
Most fused alumina manufacturers in China are SMEs. Compared with big manufacturers, SMEs are lack of advanced technology. Their production equipment is outdated, so the products’ quality is poor. Geographically speaking, China’s fused alumina companies are located in east China and south China regions. Most fused alumina manufacturers are in Guizhou Province, Henan Province, and Shandong Province.
