On March 25, 2021, China's domestic zirconia ceramic raw material manufacturer, on behalf of Guangdong Orient Zirconic Ind Sci & Tech Co., Ltd., issued an announcement, saying that, based on the impact of the continuous recovery of the zirconium industry, and based on the increase in the comprehensive cost of raw materials, energy prices, transportation costs, and labor, combined with the current market, given the situation and changes in the company's product supply and demand, they decided to increase the price of some products, among which the price of zirconia powder has risen by 10-15% since then. Affected by this, other manufacturers of zirconia powder have also increased their prices. What can be expected is that the price of finished zirconia ceramic products (zirconia ceramic grinding balls and beads, zirconia ceramic plungers, zirconia ceramic knives and blades, zirconia ceramic parts...) will also rise accordingly, UNIPRETEC will continue to pay attention to market changes and actively respond to and adjust them.
Two factors are the main reasons for this rise. On the one hand, the raw materials for zirconium products are limited. The main importing countries for zirconium tailings in the Chinese market are Australia, Mozambique, and South Africa. The Australian Zirconium Mine has seen a certain decline in the output of zircon sand this year, and the supply of medium tailings will also decrease accordingly. The main sources of zirconium mines in Mozambique are the Jinan Yuxiao Group, Kenmare Resources and Sea Mining. Yuxiao's new mines are operating slowly, and the zirconium production in the sea is not stable enough. With regard to zirconium ore in South Africa, as mining difficulties have increased, the output of zirconium ore has also decreased. On the other hand, the demand for advanced ceramic products is becoming stronger. At present, the demand for zirconium products in the high-end manufacturing industry is gradually increasing. For example, the market demand for metal zirconium and composite zirconium is increasing year by year. The construction of nuclear power plants is also expected to increase the consumption of sponge zirconium products, and the applications of zirconium products, such as liquid metals, smart terminals, smart wear, and other new industries, are expanding. Zircona Zirconia has great potential in the field of consumer electronics, where ceramic backplanes, zirconia teeth, and ceramic microbeads will become key components.
