Limited resources

Dear Readers

Do you actually know how many mobile-phones, ­
i-phones or laptops were sold last year and of exactly what materials they are made?

All the technical gadgets, which make our life easier, involve a continuously increasing demand for valuable raw materials. However, the availability of these raw materials is becoming more and more reduced in primary deposits, such as mineral sands as the basic material for titanium, titanium oxides or zircon, which are used, amongst other things, in aircraft manufacture and medical engineering or as superconductors. Specific preparation technologies are required for the extraction of these heavy minerals, as Dr. Harder explains in his market review of the heavy-minerals industry on pages 42-55 where he presents the most important companies in the sector as well as their plants and projects.

However, the above development accompanied by increasing raw material prices, makes the recovery of secondary raw materials an important economic factor of the future. Thus, on pages 56-63, Dr. Rao presents research results as regards the recovery of chromite from flue dust in the ferrochrome industry using physical preparation technologies.

Since mineral processing is very important as regards the sustainable handling of limited resources, next year a separate special issue on recycling will be published. In the AT recovery - Recycling Special Europe we will inform you about current trends and developments in all areas of the reprocessing of secondary raw materials. It would be our pleasure to also present your project concerning the preparation and use of secondary raw materials!

With best wishes for a successful new year in 2011.