“KVAR” LLC, Moscow, Russia

A. V. Naumov, Head of Production, e-mail: naumov_arkadii@mail.ru

The review describes the current state and market changes of indium market under the influence of appearing new sectors of indium application. Condition and prospects of the Russian market are described too. The analysis is carried out on open sources. Dynamics of world production and the prices in recent years is given. Changes in consumption structure in recent years are described. The analysis of changes in commercial and industrial policy of China, as main indium producer is carried out. The balance “supply-demand” and need in indium for middle- and long-term prospect is estimated. The review of the main producers and consumers is given. Appearance of new large producers of primary indium in the world market out of China is noted. New developing spheres of indium application are described. Growth of internal indium consumption in China is noted. China becomes the largest producer of LCD TVs and monitors, internal consumption thus grows. The carried-out policy should promote transformation of China from the raw materials supplier to the leading producer of hi-tech production. Prospects of solar elements based on indium and existence of a source of raw materials for them are discussed. It is shown that indium will not become the critical element for development of indium-containing solar cells in medium-term perspective. It is supposed that in the few next years the tendencies of rescue from China raw dependence will amplify in the world. The assumption is come out that growth of indium requirement in medium-term prospect will define need of emergence of new technologies of indium extraction from “poor” solutions. The most actual technical problems arising at growing demand are analyzed, some ways of their decision are designed.

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