Calcium

Calcium is a soft, silvery-white metal that plays a key role in the steel, chemical, and construction industries. It is primarily extracted from limestone and other calcium-containing minerals. The leading producers of calcium are China, the United States, and India. Calcium is used in steelmaking, cement production, and as a chemical deoxidiser.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Calcium Aluminate	CaAl2O4	CaO 45-55%	1-25 mm
Calcium Carbide	CaC2	CaC2 72-100%	1-15 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 calcium 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 calcium and buyers to discover new suppliers of calcium.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, foundries, 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.

Prices for calcium carbide and calcium aluminate are tracked by several key platforms:

1. Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets offers journalistic coverage of commodities, including calcium carbide. Fastmarkets provides price data, analysis, and forecasts based on market trends​ (Fastmarkets).
2. Argus Media: Argus also provides journalistic price data for calcium carbide and other related chemical commodities. Their platform provides real-time updates and detailed market insights​ (Argus Media).
3. ChemAnalyst: ChemAnalyst is a prominent source for calcium carbide prices, offering market analysis and demand projections, particularly for regions like North America, Europe, and Asia​ (ChemAnalyst).

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

The main countries producing calcium are:

• China – ~60% of global production
• United States – ~15% of global production
• India – ~10% of global production
• Russia – ~<10% of global production
• Brazil – ~5% of global production

Some of the key producers of calcium include:

• Shaanxi Fengtai Calcium Industry (China) – ~20% of global production
• United States Lime & Minerals (USA) – ~10% of global production
• Tata Chemicals (India) – ~10% of global production
• Omya (Switzerland) – ~<10%, producing calcium carbonate for global markets
• Lhoist (Belgium) – ~5%, a major producer of lime and calcium-based products

Calcium is primarily extracted from limestone, which is processed into calcium oxide or calcium carbide through calcination. Calcium aluminate is also produced by heating a mixture of calcium and aluminium in high-temperature kilns. Calcium’s production methods vary depending on its industrial use, from steelmaking to construction.

Calcium is primarily used in steelmaking (~45%), where it acts as a deoxidiser and desulphuriser. It is also used in the production of cement (~30%) and chemicals (~15%).