Asbestos is a set of 6 naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals mined widely for their useful properties, namely chemical and thermal stability, thermal insulation and high tensile strength. There are six types of asbestos distinguished worldwide: crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, actinolite, tremolite and anthophyllite. Asbestos has large performance capabilities owing to the ability of its crystals to become flexible, long, silky fibres and take various forms.
Asbestos has numerous applications. It is extensively utilized as a building material. Moreover, it is also found in chemical filters, electrical insulation, transportation and electrical appliances, clutch facings and brake linings. However, asbestos is considered to cause serious problems to human health. Regular asbestos exposure from the air presents high health risks. The enhancing awareness of the negative impact on the human health accompanied by the asbestos utilization bans in various countries restricts the growth of the worldwide asbestos market considerably. Nevertheless, the construction industry in many countries is still strongly dependent on the product, so the demand for asbestos is rather high.
In 2012, the asbestos mine production showed a 1.7% y-o-y decrease and was estimated at around 2 million tonnes.
Russia dominates the global asbestos market in terms of production volume, accounting for a half of the overall output. It is followed by China, Brazil and Kazakhstan with the combined market share of above 45%.
Asbestos: world mine production structure, by country, 2012
The production of asbestos in Russia remained at the same level in 2012, whilst the consumption registered a 0.6% decrease. Asbestos exports prevail over imports in the country. In 2011, Russia’s exports of asbestos were evaluated at approximately USD 223 million.
Growing awareness of hazards related the use of the product presents the major challenge to the growth of the asbestos market. Worldwide asbestos production volumes are predicted to witness a downward trend in the upcoming years to decline to nearly 1.8 million tonnes in 2015. The consumption is also forecast to decrease given active substitution of asbestos by non-hazardous materials.
More information on the asbestos market can be found in the report Asbestos Market Review.