Crystalline Silica Dust Under Scrutiny for Exacerbating Coronavirus among Workers
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sweeps across the globe, business owners are scurrying for opportunities to maintain income generation. Several challenges such as travel ban, volatile demand, and supply chain disruptions are likely to hurt sales for manufacturers in the cristobalite market. Moreover, there is awareness about crystalline silica dust being hazardous to health. Hence, manufacturers in the cristobalite market are adhering to the regulations given by the local and federal authorities.
Robust sanitization measures and limited headcount are being preferred in factories. Since fine silica particles cause respiratory illnesses, companies are taking extra care to ensure optimum health of their workers and employees. As such, there is increased awareness about workplace health and safety in Australia and the U.K. Manufacturers are scurrying for incremental opportunities in countries such as Queensland since the pandemic has drastically subsided in Australia.
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Paints and Dental Casting Materials Creating Stable Revenue Streams for Manufacturers
Apart from artificial marble and ceramics, cristobalite is being extensively used to produce industrial coatings, road marking paints, and metallurgy. Sibelco— a material solutions company, is increasing its portfolio in commercially-viable natural resources such as cristobalite, which is in high demand for road marking paints, since cristobalite acts as a high brightness filler. Likewise, abrasion and scratch resistance attributes are highly preferred for manufacturing ceramics and artificial marble.
Companies in the cristobalite market are increasing their production capabilities in medium-sized grains and micronized powders to meet customer specifications. Cristobalite is being highly publicized for the manufacturing of engineered stone, made from PMMA [poly (methyl methacrylate)]. Dental casting materials are creating stable revenue streams for manufacturers in the cristobalite market. Innovative product offerings are bolstering growth for the market, which is predicted to clock a CAGR of ~6% during 2024 to 2030.
Titanium-induced Cristobalite Formations Gain Prominence in Food Preservatives and Agrochemicals
The cristobalite market is projected to mature to reach US$ 54 Mn by 2030. However, health and safety concerns pertaining to crystalline silica dust have compelled manufacturers to adopt workplace health & safety measures. In order to conduct smooth production activities, it is has become important for manufacturers in the cristobalite market to acquire certifications for workplace safety.
Titanosilicates involving cristobalite are in high demand for membrane technology used in water purification, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. These materials are commercially valuable, owing to its efficacy in the oxidation of alkenes and form industrially-relevant organic alcohols and epoxides. Titanosilicates involving cristobalite act as highly selective heterogeneous catalysts, which are used as precursors in food preservatives, agrochemicals, and pesticides.
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Air Monitoring Plays Crucial Role During Install of Silica-based Products
In order to gain market visibility, companies in the cristobalite market are complying with the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations to boost their credibility credentials. Allied Mineral Products— a manufacturer of monolithic refractories and precast shapes, is providing a low Respirable Crystalline Silica product line called TEK-SIL to adhere to the safety and health of workers.
Companies in the cristobalite market are becoming aware about Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) regulations, while manufacturing silica-based products. They are adopting the modified NIOSH 0600 testing method to determine the amount of respirable dust concentration in factories. Air monitoring is being highly recommended to measure the amount of respirable crystalline silica in the air during an install of silica-based products.
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Analysts’ Viewpoint
Air monitoring is being conducted by manufacturers to reduce the exacerbation of COVID-19 infection in factories. Cristobalite is acquiring prominence in several products such as anti-blocking additives in PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene) films, silicone sealant compounds, and engineered stones made from PMMA. However, safe synthetic materials are emerging as a competitive alternative to cristobalite and natural quartz. Hence, companies in the cristobalite market should expand their business in applications that mandatorily require the material such as in outdoor paints & plaster and dental impression composites. High-degree of abrasion and scratch resistance of cristobalite is preferred in ceramics and artificial marble products.
Cristobalite Market: Overview
- Cristobalite is a polymorph of quartz that is composed of the same chemistry as SiO2; however, it has different structures. It is commonly found in volcanic rocks. Good specimens of crystals are found in the crevices and cavities of host rocks.
- Crystallite is commonly found in volcanic rocks; therefore, identification by its color and crystal habit becomes easy. It can be white, light gray, light brown, light yellow, and blue gray in color. It is formed from molten rocks at a temperature range above 1470°C to the boiling point of silica.
- Increase in R&D activities in transparent ultrafine mineral filler technologies has created opportunities for cristobalite in artificial marble and paints & coatings industries
Drivers of Cristobalite Market
- Engineered stones are composed of crushed stones bounded by strong adhesives. Engineered stones include silica sand and powder, quartz grits, cristobalite, glass, polyester, and pigments of natural marble and additives.
- Engineered stones can be combined with cristobalite. This provides high quality visual and functional results. Cristobalite improves appearance in line with design trends, including greater transparency, whiteness, and brightness. It also helps improve the hardness and durability of a surface; and resistance to scratching, staining, heat, and chemicals. Engineered stones are employed in various applications in kitchen countertops, facades, floorings, and bathrooms. Cristobalite is also utilized as a filler in these applications.
- According to the latest annual report published by Sibelco in 2018, the demand for cristobalite once again surpassed supply, owing to the high demand from the engineered stone market. This helped manufacturers open new kilns in Belgium. In collaboration with its customers, Sibelco continues to develop new cristobalite solutions for the market in order to help customers enhance key aspects of a surface’s visual appearance such as transparency, whiteness, and brightness.
- Demand for cristobalite is high in the engineered stone market, as it improves the functionality of stones. Consistent rise in the demand for engineered stones is boosting the demand for cristobalite.
- Thus, an increase in the demand for nickel-based chemicals and rise in catalysts & automotive applications are likely to boost the demand for cristobalite during the forecast period
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Key Challenges for Cristobalite Market
- High cost of processing of wollastonite in the commercial form is key challenge currently facing the cristobalite market. Associated minerals include in wollastonite ore, such as tremolite, garnets, vesuvianite, and calcite, which needs to be removed to produce a pure form of wollastonite. These unwanted associated minerals consists 60% in volume composition of wollastonite ore. Wollastonite needs to be processed in order to be useful for various applications.
- The processing of wollastonite into commercial grades often requires beneficiation to reduce or remove unwanted minerals. The ore is first crushed and milled to segregate mineral phases. Some associated minerals of wollastonite ore, such as garnets and diopsides, common discoloring components of wollastonite ores, are weakly magnetic and can be removed with high intensity magnetic separators. Calcite is removed by flotation. This issue has prompted several wollastonite producing companies to produce low cost alternative of cristobalite.
- Cristobalite carries serious health hazards when it comes in contact with humans for a prolonged time. In 1996, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that cristobalite dust was carcinogenic to humans and could cause cancer.
- Cristobalite can cause various health hazards such as irritation to eyes and nose. It can also lead to lung cancer, reproductive damage, and tuberculosis. Therefore, governments of various countries across the globe have enacted stringent government regulations on the production of cristobalite. This is restraining the market.
- Cristobalite can be replaced by quartz and other polymorphs such as barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth, dolomite, feldspar, glass powder, kaolin, mica, microspheres, silica, and talc
- Quartz and other polymorphs have similar chemical composition and physical and chemical properties as cristobalite. This can adversely affect the demand for cristobalite. Furthermore, quartz and other polymorphs are less expensive than cristobalite.
- Factors mentioned above have been adversely affecting the global cristobalite market for the last few years
Lucrative Opportunities for Players in Cristobalite Market
- Demand for cristobalite is high in the paints & coatings industry due to its various characteristics such as relatively high Mohs hardness of 5, high brightness, relatively low refractive index, easy wettability, high inertness in various media, and transparency for UV-radiation (suitable for UV-curing processes)
- According to the World Paint & Coatings Industry Association, the global paints & coatings industry stood at US$ 9Bn in 2018. As per the American Coatings Association, the paints & coatings market was valued at about US$ 25 Bn in 2018. Paints & coatings is a rapidly expanding industry. It includes architecture coatings, industrial coatings, and special purpose coatings (automotive refinish coatings, industrial maintenance coatings, traffic marking paints, and marine paints). This has significantly boosted the demand for cristobalite as an additive and filler.
- When added to paints and coatings, cristobalite provides abrasion, scratch resistance, and chemical resistance. It also offers excellent resistance against mechanical damage. Cristobalite is inert, and provides good chemical resistance compared to other conventional fillers. Versatility of cristobalite, along with its superior properties are key drivers of the global cristobalite market.
- Cristobalite is a filler with significantly high brightness. This contributes to the visibility of road marking paints. Coarse grades of cristobalite provide a roughness to the substrate, making it less slippery in wet conditions. This helps provide better visibility in wet conditions. Cristobalite offers resistance against UV radiation, which helps reduce the degradation of coatings.
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Domination of Asia Pacific in Cristobalite Market
- Asia Pacific is the leading consumer of cristobalite across the globe. The region is expected to lead the global cristobalite market, in terms of volume and value, during the forecast period. Rapid urbanization and rise in demand for cristobalite are boosting the demand for cristobalite in Asia Pacific.
- China and India are major consumers of cristobalite, as these are rapidly expanding economies in Asia Pacific. The region is also the leading producer of paints and coatings, plastics, and adhesives. Furthermore, glass and ceramics industries in Asia Pacific have been expanding significantly.
Leading Players in Cristobalite Market
- Key players operating in the global cristobalite market include Sibelco, Hoben International Limited, and GoldStar Powders India
- Based in Antwerp (Belgium), Sibelco is the largest producer of cristobalite, with production capacity of 70,000tons/year. In October 2017, the company officially opened its third cristobalite kiln in Belgium in order to cater to the rising demand from customers across the globe. It adopts the latest technology to synthesize cristobalite.
