Barite: A Critical Raw Material for the European Union

Approximately 90% of the world's existing barite deposits are targeted for drilling-grade barite, while the remaining 10% fails to achieve sufficient whiteness. This has made natural high-purity and high-whiteness barite an important mineral resource. The European Union prepares a list of raw materials that are significant for it and sourced from outside the EU (2014 and 2011). This report, prepared every three years, was updated in 2017. Following the recommendations of the Special Working Group 2014 Report, a commission examining economic importance, supply risk and raw material criticality added barite as a heavy earth mineral to the EU's critical raw materials list dated 13 September 2017. Following its adoption, it was published on 18 September 2017 as an "important element for ensuring safe, affordable and sustainable supply to EU industry." Other products entering the 2017 list alongside barite are bismuth, hafnium, helium, phosphorus, scandium, tantalum, vanadium and natural rubber. The EU's strategic objective is to secure the supply of critical raw materials in the long term. The commission also examined substitution and recycling rates of raw materials. Regardless of raw material cost, barite was found to be non-substitutable at a rate of 93-94%. This 6-7% portion consists of iron-bearing minerals such as hematite (Fe2O3) and ilmenite (FeTiO3) used for high density in drilling mud composition, as well as minerals such as calcium carbonate, kaolin, talc and strontium carbonate that can be used in certain filler applications. These substitute products cannot replace barite's sound insulation, radiation impermeability, light fastness, chemical resistance and health suitability properties. Barium sulfate being an alkali earth element's water and acid-insoluble sulfate salt has made barite both a health-suitable raw material and an important white filler for many processes. Efe Barit micronizes natural barium sulfate extracted from its own mines for its customers' use. As a natural mineral and enriched only by water washing, it is not subject to REACH. With EBM micronized barite products of high purity and whiteness produced from its existing reserves, Efe Barit is at a level to meet Turkey's and Europe's short and medium-term white barite requirements. Source: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?u ri=CELEX:52017DC0490&from=EN