IMFORMED articles by Mike O’Driscoll in the industry media (click on media page to download (or right click and “Save link as”)).


Industrial Minerals Review 2023
Is the “Criticality” of industrial minerals finally being understood?

Mining Engineering, July 2024

Click on image below (or right click and “Save link”) for Mining Engineering pages PDF or for IMFORMED website version with pictures and links please click HERE.


Squaring the Circle: Challenges and Opportunities
in Recycling Refractory Minerals

refractories WORLDFORUM 16 (2024) [1]

Article p1


Industrial Minerals Review 2022
Learning to be Greener & Smarter

Mining Engineering, July 2023

“Hi Mike, I just received my copy of Mining Engineering, and after reading the excellent intro realised it was written by you. Nice concise summary and all read true to what I have found the situation to be. Well done.”
Murray Lines, Managing Director, Stratum Resources, Australia

Click on image below (or right click and “Save link”) for Mining Engineering pages PDF or for IMFORMED website version with pictures and links please click HERE.

1st page pic


Refractory mineral supply in transition

Iron&Steel Today, Oct/Nov 2022

IST Nov22 title pic


 China continues as strong provider of refractory minerals amid industry transformation

LOGEA NEWS, Number 4, December 2022 (in Spanish)

LOGEA NEWS is a publication of consulting firm LOGEA S.A.S. based in Medellin, Columbia, dedicated to sharing information on aspects of industrial minerals. Contact: Jorge E. López-Rendón, Director, [email protected]. IMFORMED Newsfile report published with permission.

 Logea No4


 Canada Fluorspar Inc.: New owner & restart of production?

LOGEA NEWS, Number 3, October 2022 (in Spanish)

LOGEA NEWS is a publication of consulting firm LOGEA S.A.S. based in Medellin, Columbia, dedicated to sharing information on aspects of industrial minerals. Contact: Jorge E. López-Rendón, Director, [email protected]. IMFORMED Newsfile report published with permission.

LOGEA News no3 Oct22 1st page


First Bauxite acquires calcination plants in the USA

LOGEA NEWS, Number 2, September 2022 (in Spanish)

LOGEA NEWS is a publication of consulting firm LOGEA S.A.S. based in Medellin, Columbia, dedicated to sharing information on aspects of industrial minerals. Contact: Jorge E. López-Rendón, Director, [email protected]. IMFORMED Newsfile report published with permission.

LOGEA News


IMFORMED Refractory Raw Material World Sources Map

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 101, No. 6 August 2022

ACerS IMFORMED map 8-22 - smaller


Industrial Minerals Review 2021
Testing times sustain market turmoil, but
outlook positive

Mining Engineering, July 2022

Click on image below for Mining Engineering pages PDF or for IMFORMED website version with pictures and links please click HERE.

ME 7-22 page pic


Industrial Minerals Review 2020
Responding to Challenges & Change

Mining Engineering, July 2021

Page 1


Refractory magnesia supply shake up
Corporate moves & changes in China re-shape future supply trends

Iron&Steel Today, Dec 2020/Feb 2021

IST Ref mag article 2-21


“Industrial Waste Resources Will Become the New Normal”
Review of trends impacting refractory raw materials

Refractories Manual 2020, INTERCERAM, Sept. 2020, Vol. 69

IMFORMED Ref Manual 2020


2020 Vision for Industrial Minerals
Introduction to the Industrial Minerals Review 2019

Mining Engineering, July 2020, Vol.72, No.7

ME IM review intro article 7-20


Vertical integration in the steel refractory sector
Refratechnik buys QMAG to boost captive magnesia supply

Iron&Steel Today, Mar/Apr 2020

IST APRIL 2020


Why India? Why now?

Ceramic & Glass Manufacturing, Dec. 2019, Vol. 1, Issue 1

C&GM 11-19


Fluorspar Flux Supply

Is relief in sight?

Iron&Steel Today, Oct./Nov. 2019

Fluorspar supply page


MagForum 2019

refractories WorldForum 11 (2019) [3]

MagForum 2019 IMFORMED - RWF 3-19


Mineral Recycling Forum 2019:
Squaring the Circular Economy with Industrial Minerals

refractories WorldForum 11 (2019) [3]

Mineral Recycling Forum 2019 IMFORMED - RWF 3-19


AlF3: Fluorspar supply
Is relief in sight?

Aluminium International Today, Sept./Oct. 2019

AlF3 - AIT Sep-Oct 19


Fluorspar supply for refrigerants – is relief in sight?

Cooling Post, 2 August 2019

Cooling Post 2 Aug 2019


Refractory mineral supply
Alternative solutions driven by China supply squeeze

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 98, No. 2 March 2019
ACerS 2-19 title pic

Mike,

Thanks very much for your article in the recent Bull.Amer.Ceram.Soc., giving an excellent update on the raw materials situation in China. Your information, insight, and experience are critically important for the refractories industry. We all look forward to your continuing updates on the raw materials situation in China, and any changes/trends that you observe in the coming years, as the companies involved make decisions to optimize their situation.

Best Regards.

Charles Semler, Semler Materials Services, USA


Finding new ways to recycle industrial minerals

Mineral Planning Issue 179 / October 2018

MinPlan 10-18


Magnesia Market Summit: MagForum 2018 Review

refractories WorldForum 10 (2018) [4]

MagForum 2018 report title page


Mineral Recycling is Evolving Fast

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 97, No. 6 – August 2018

MinRecycling ACS 8-18


Review: Mineral Recycling Forum 2018

 refractories WorldForum 10 (2018) [3]

RWF Recycling Review 3-18


IREFCON18: Refractory Raw Material Supply
“the Single Most Important Challenge”

 refractories WorldForum 10 (2018) [3]

RWF IREFCON 3-18


The Changing Sands of Our Time
How proppant demand has influenced ceramic mineral supply

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 97, No. 3 – April 2018

ACS 4-18


2018: Year of the Dog likely to live up to its name for Chinese mineral consumers

American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 97, No. 2 – March 2018

ACS 3-18 Year of Dog


Basic Instinct
Magnesia Supply to the Refractories Industry

 refractories WorldForum 10 (2018) [1]

 Basic Instinct RWF


The Heat is On
A refractory mineral supply squeeze in China impacts on the global steel refractory industry

Iron & Steel Today, Dec 2017-Jan 2018

IST Dec-Jan18 Heat is On


Fluorspar for AlF3
China supply shortages hit consumers as new sources emerge

Aluminium International Today, Sept./Oct. 2017

AIT Sept-Oct 17 page


Magnesia Focus

Iron & Steel Today, July-August 2017

IST Jul-Aug 2017


Mineral Recycling Forum 2017 Review

refractories WorldForum 9 (2017) [3]

RWF Min Recyc 3-17


Waste Deep in New Opportunities

WASTE PLANNING ISSUE 122 / APRIL 2017

MinPlan 4-2017


Refractories in Steelmaking: Still a Buyers’ Market

METALS INSIGHT Volume 12 / Issue 4 / February 23, 2017

Platts Metal Insight 2-17


Mega Mag Merger

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence December 2016

BMI 4-2016


MagForum 2016 Review

refractories WorldForum 8 (2016) [4]

RWF 4-2016


Mineral Recycling Forum 2016 Review

refractories WorldForum 8 (2016) [3]

 RWF 3-2016


Recycling Refractories

Glass International June 2016

Glass Int 3-2016


Recycling of Refractory Minerals

IRMA Journal Vol. XXXXIX, No 1, March 2016

IRMA 3-2016


Mineral Recycling Turns Industrial

Mineral Planning Issue 163 / February 2016

MinPlan 2-2016


Informing the Refractories Market: IMFORMED in 2016

refractories WorldForum 8 (2016) [1]

RWF 1-2016


Refractory Minerals Matter

Iron and Steel Today December 2015/January 2016

IST Dec-Jan 2016


Foundry Minerals Forum Casts Weather Eye Over Mineral Supply & Demand

INCAST August 2015

INCAST 8-15


The Changing Art of Moving

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence June 2015

BMI 6-15


US Ceramic Proppants Review

Oilfield Technology Energy Global online 4 April 2015

OilTech 4-2015


IMFORMED New Events & Research Hub for Industrial Minerals

refractories WorldForum 7 (2015) [1]

IMFORMED in RefWF v1 2015