Alumina

Alumina is a white crystalline material derived from bauxite ore and can be categorised as either metallurgical-grade alumina, used to make aluminium metal, or non-metallurgical alumina, used in a range of industrial applications. It has high thermal conductivity and is resistant to heat and corrosion. The top producers of alumina are Australia, Brazil, and China. Alumina is mainly used in the aluminium industry, ceramics manufacturing, and refractories productiondue to its thermal and chemical properties.

Sub-Category	Core Content Range	Size Range
Brown Fused Alumina	Al2O3 93-100%	0-6.3 mm
Bubble Alumina	Various	n/a
Calcined Alumina	Al2O3 99-100%	0-0.1 mm
Corundum White Fused Alumina	Various	n/a
Fused Alumina Chrome	Various	n/a
Fused Magnesia Spinel	Al2O3 63-100%	0-5 mm
Sintered Magnesia Spinel	Al2O3 65-92%	0-10 mm
Tabular Alumina	Al2O3 99.2-100%	0-6 mm
White Fused Alumina	Al2O3 99.2-100%	0-8 mm

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of alumina with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of alumina and buyers to discover new suppliers of alumina.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows refractory producers, smelters, and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

Alumina prices are provided by several key market intelligence platforms:

1. Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets offers journalistic price data, historical trends, and market forecasts for alumina as part of their metals and mining segment ​(Fastmarkets)​.
2. S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts): S&P provides journalistic alumina pricing through their benchmark assessments, including Australian FOB prices (S&P Global).
3. CRU Group: CRU delivers journalistic medium- and long-term forecasts for alumina prices, offering insights into market dynamics and demand trends in the aluminium industry​ (CRU).

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

Key countries producing alumina include:

• Australia – ~30% of global production
• Brazil – ~15% of global production
• China – ~10% of global production
• India – ~<10% of global production
• Russia – ~<10% of global production

Some of the key producers of alumina are:

• Alcoa (USA) – ~15% of global output, specialising in high-grade alumina
• Rio Tinto (Australia) – ~10%, one of the largest bauxite and alumina refiners
• Norsk Hydro (Norway) – ~10%, operating refineries in Brazil and Australia
• Chalco (China) – ~10%, a major supplier in the Asian market
• Rusal (Russia) – ~<10%, focused on alumina for the aluminium industry

Alumina is refined from bauxite ore through the Bayer process. Bauxite is crushed and mixed with sodium hydroxide, which separates the alumina from impurities. The resulting alumina is then calcined to remove moisture, forming a dry, powdery material used in various industries. Sub-categories such as brown fused alumina and calcined alumina are created for specific applications like refractories and abrasives.

Alumina is primarily used in the production of aluminium (~85%). It is also used in the ceramics industry (~10%) and in refractories (~5%) for its resistance to high temperatures. Specific sub-categories like white fused alumina and tabular alumina are crucial in steel production and high-temperature processes.