Tantalum Ore Pricing Reflects Challenging Supply Chain

CARY, North Carolina, Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The average price per pound for tantalum ore has reacted to changes in the unique global supply chain for the non-ferrous metal between 1995 and 2015.  "Tantalum has always been a challenging market environment, and the price of ore has responded to this volatility," said Dennis Zogbi, CEO of Paumanok Publications, Inc. author of a new in-depth market study entitled "Tantalum: World Market Outlook: 2015-2020."  "Back in the Mid-1990s, tantalum ore prices reacted to forecasts from the wireless handset business which projected huge demand for molded and coated tantalum chips for consumption in cellular phones; then it was the ore shortages in 2000 and the 'take or pay' contracts of 2001 and 2002 that kept prices high.  Throughout the 2000's tantalum ore was in excess supply and an oversupply situation existed for an extended period of time that kept tantalum ore pricing low.  During the global economic crisis of 2009 demand declined as did pricing; but then in 2010 through 2014, ore prices increased in responses to the metals conflict mineral status and the idling of key tantalum ore mines.  In 2015 tantalum ore pricing has been declining because of lack of demand coming from the capacitor industry, offset slightly by increased demand from metallurgical in key applications.  The 2016 forecast is for tantalum ore prices to continue to weaken."

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"Tantalum: World Market Outlook: 2015-2020" is a detailed market research report that covers the global market for tantalum materials, including tantalum ores and concentrates and engineered tantalum powder, wire, foil, sheet, bar and rod for consumption in tantalum capacitor anodes, tantalum sputtering targets, tantalum superalloys, cemented carbide cutting tools, fabricated mill products and tantalum chemicals and compounds. The study forecasts demand for tantalum based upon its "known reliability" and its unique attributes of capacitance, durability, corrosion and heat resistance; as well as its unique optical properties. The study addresses key issues facing the industry between 2016 and 2020 including the expected price fluctuations for the metal, including its potential deficit amidst mine closings; stringent legislation and vertical integration within the supply chain. The study forecasts demand for tantalum in capacitor anodes, taking into consideration the projected demand for tantalum capacitors consumed in various portable digital electronics, including smartphones and computer tablets, notebook computers and servers; automotive electronic subassemblies; and consumer electronics such as game consoles; and digital cameras. For forecasting suture requirements, the study takes into consideration the existence and market potential for tantalum displacement by alternative technologies such as high capacitance MLCC and conductive polymer aluminum chip capacitors. It also forecasts tantalum consumption in hard metals, including cemented carbide cutting tools, superalloys, and mill products, amidst expected increases in production of aircraft and automobiles to satisfy increasing demand from emerging economies. The study also forecasts primary and secondary tantalum supply. Including primary mining operations and their expected expansion. The study also forecasts tantalum from tin mining and slag operations; tantalum from urban mining (Recycling) and tantalum in inventories and makes projections regarding tantalum materials requirements forecasts to satisfy demand in 2020. Tantalum pricing forecasts for tantalum ores and concentrates are given for 2015 through 2020 as are projected volume requirements in each of the market subsets, including capacitor anodes, semiconductor sputtering targets, superalloys (turbine blades), mill products for industrial and chemical processing, cemented carbides and chemicals and compounds. This report is 198 pages, was published in September 2015 and is $2750.00 USD. TO GET THE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND TO ORDER.

About Paumanok Publications, Inc.

Paumanok Publications, Inc. Industrial Market Research has written more than 260 reports on passive electronic components and related electronic materials over the past 28 years.  Paumanok Publications, Inc., founded in 1988, is the world's largest supplier of market research reports and services to the global capacitor, resistor, inductor and circuit protection component markets, and to the tantalum, ceramic, aluminum, plastic, carbon; nickel, copper  silver and palladium metals.

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