4.17.3.1 Availability and Consumption

The output of mica in 1997 was 108,000 tons. But the available volume of mica was about 100,000 tons when those sub-standard quality products turned out by part of township enterprises and self-employed producers and the stockpile are deducted.

China consumes 250 tons of sheet mica, 5,000 tons of mica paper and 20,000 tons of mica powder each year. Apart from the domestic demand, part of China's mica products are exported to the world market.

In recent years, China's export of mica products has been growing. In 1990, the export volume of mica was 24,878.9 tons, earning foreign exchange of US $ 2.988 million. In 1997, the export volume reached 47,542 tons, earning US $ 6.48 million, with an annual average growth rate of 14.46 percent.

The China's import and export of industrial raw materials mica from 1994 to 1997 is shown in the Table 4.17.3. 

So far, the supply of mica paper has surpassed the demand in China. This product is over produced. By the end of 1997, China had a capacity of 13,500 tons of mica paper each year. According to the estimate of the Mica Sub-association, the market demand will be 8,000 tons in 2000 and 8,500 tons in 2001. Production capacity is remarkably in excess of the demand of market.

4.17.3.2 Trends

After a stage of prosperity in China's mica industry over the past decades, now its output has already reached its saturation point. The production of sheet mica has passed its prime stage and now begins to decline. The trend of its development is inevitably turning toward the production of mica scraps.  

Along with the development of application technologies and widening of application fields of mica, the production of comprehensively processed products of mica has made much headway and serial products used in various fields, such as new type building materials, decoration and repairing materials, and special paints, have been formed. Many countries can make use of mica comprehensively without leaving any wastes. Almost 100 percent of its raw material can be used. However, in China, only 40 percent of the raw material can be used. In addition to muscovite, the application of phlogopite and sericite will also need to be further developed.  

At present, the structure of consumption is changing. For example, in the United States, whose mica output accounts for 75 percent of the world's total, the consumption of mica scraps makes up 70~80 percent of the total consumption of mica. The cleaved sheet mica products, except the large ones, does not sell well on the market. The industries of building materials, paint, and plastics are using a great quantity of mica scraps.  

Mica paper and wet-milling mica powder as products of comprehensive use and their reprocessed products as mica insulation products and mica paper condensers are all best sellers on the international market. For China's mica products, Western Europe is a potential market. And a new market is likely to be opened in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, China's products have not yet entered the market in America. They are the goals so as for China's mica products to have more shares of the world's market.  

In addition, mica paper has won a large share of the domestic market. During the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, about 4,000 tons of mica paper were used to produce micanite of various kinds. And about 1,000 tons of mica paper were used to produce electrical machinery.  

Along with the improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people, the demand for household electric appliances will also grow. As the export of mica products increases,

Table 4.17.2 Key mica mines and manufacturing enterprises in China

Table 4.17.3 China's foreign trade of mica from 1994 to 1997

¢Ù Value in US $ 1000, and earnings in US $ 1000.

more products of mica paper will be demanded.  

According to explored reserves of mica in China, the resources can meet the demand of production until 2010. But the resources of quality mica scrap minerals suitable for producing mica paper and wet-milling mica powder are still in short supply because the production construction in various mines lags behind. From now on, in the light of resources of mica and the situation of the markets at home and abroad, it is necessary to improve the scientific management, make more investment in production and promote the quality of products, and develop new products so as to promote the comprehensive utilization of mica resources to guarantee full use of the limited mica resources in China.