June 2023

Welcome to the May-June Crucible issue. With our premier annual event, the International Minor Metals Conference  and the MMTA annual general meeting now behind us—see this issue for the conference…

25-26 April 2023 Charlotte, NC, USA   Day 1 – Tuesday, April 25 For delegates who had neither played golf at the Bermuda Run Country Club (kindly sponsored by ICD…

The Trade Journalist we deserved   Trevor Tarring, who died at the end of April aged 90, was a towering figure in the metals industry, and a great friend of…

  In many respects, niobium’s properties resemble those of its chemical cousin tantalum, but nearly always in a way that disappoints. Niobium is chemically resistant to mineral acids, it can…

  What makes vanadium critical? Vanadium ranks 10/40 in Project Blue’s Critical Materials Risk Index (CMRI) 2022.   Concerns over vanadium supply availability are underpinned by its co-product nature.  Vanadium feedstock…

Price and output analysis In 2022, China tightened rules on environmental protection and operational safety. Since Pan-Asia APT inventory was nearly exhausted, and the inventory of various Chinese enterprises was…

Simon Boon Chris Edler The MMTA thanks Simon Boon and Chris Edler, who stepped down from the board  at the 2023 AGM after both serving a nine-year term, for their…

MMTA Charity Update Anthony Lipmann reports on the resumption of MMTAs Friends of Mufulira electives programme.   We are, in the UK, acutely aware of criticism of our health system.…

Rachel Carnac pays tribute to Trevor Tarring   I always remember being at Metal Bulletin for about three weeks and Trevor asking me for an update on the copper concentrates…

Polina Sparks recalls Trevor Tarring’s newsroom   At the old Metal Bulletin offices in Lower Marsh, Trevor’s presence and guidance were always felt, even once he stepped back from the…