Minerals Used as Additives to Exceed 136 Million Metric Tons by 2005
Market Trends
The use of minerals as additives is widespread in today's industrial market. Historically, mineral fillers were used to extend other raw materials as a cost-saving measure. Today, specific materials are developed and selected for the functional and aesthetic properties they impart to the finished product. In other cases, particular minerals act as agents to speed or facilitate the manufacture of other goods. The markets in which minerals are used, and the reasons for their use, are changing and expanding all the time.
According to a study published by Business Communications Co., Inc., Norwalk, Conn., RGB-246: Minerals as Additives and Functional Ingredients, the total annual consumption of the minerals studied in this report is estimated to be nearly 181 million metric tons. About 69% of that figure, or 125 million metric tons, are used as additive minerals. The market for minerals is expected to rise at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 1.6% during the five-year forecast period to reach 195 million metric tons by 2005. The amount used as additives will increase at an AAGR of 1.7%, thereby exceeding 136 million metric tons by 2005.