Bauxite and the aluminum industry: reserves and technological alternatives

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Mater. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6796409

Hill, V G

In 1974 over 90% of the Western world demand for aluminum came from the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Japan, while Jamaica, Surinam, and Guinea produced approximately 44.1% of the Western world's bauxite requirements, and Australia 29.5%. Due to exploration and technological developments, world bauxite resources increased from 1.1 billion metric tons in 1950 to 22 billion metric tons in 1975, plus potential ore of 200 billion metric tons, while the total cumulative production was 940 million metric tons during the same period. Ore characteristics such as mineralogy, chemical composition, and physical properties affect the choice of technological alternatives. The reserves situation and the need for new markets suggest increasing the per capita aluminum consumption in developing countries to 30 pounds. The demands generated could be satisfied by new regional integrated aluminum industries on the Jamaica/Venezuela/Mexico model. Technology could be supplied by the multinational companies on a product-sharing or other basis so that the total world requirements are satisfied. In this, the simple objectives of minimizing production costs and assurance of supplies must be replaced by the more complex goals of the use of mineral resources as the basis for industrial development programs involving people, plants, capital, and regional markets. 27 refs.

• Research Organization: Ministry of Mining and Natural Resources, Kingston, Jamaica
• OSTI ID: 6796409
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Mater. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 1:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
ALUMINIUM ORES
ASIA
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
AVAILABILITY
BAUXITE
CANADA
CAPITAL
CONSUMPTION RATES
DEMAND FACTORS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC IMPACT
EUROPE
GLOBAL ASPECTS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
JAMAICA
JAPAN
LATIN AMERICA
MARKET
METAL INDUSTRY
MEXICO
MINERALS
MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES
NEW GUINEA
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PERSONNEL
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SOCIAL IMPACT
SOUTH AMERICA
SURINAM
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
USA
VENEZUELA
WEST INDIES