"Caesium market"
Current price for pure caesium metal is ~ US$1,100 per 100 g but compound prices are significantly cheaper and vary considerably by compound and purity. A small number of companies in Denmark, Germany, Japan, Russia and the UK also process caesium ores, and although Cabot itself estimates that it owns over 80% of the world’s pollucite reserves Chemetall (historically derived from Metallgeschellschaft AG) has been the largest producer of caesium chemicals. In addition, a larger number of specialty chemical companies produce various grades of the many caesium derivative compounds. Overall, however, the total industry and the market are very small compared with those in place for most metals. As the market is small and the number of producers worldwide is also relatively small, public trading in caesium metal or its compounds is not active, and therefore prices are not quoted. The metal is sold by the gramme with the price varying greatly with the amount and purity of the metal purchased. It is estimated that the current price for high purity metallic Caesium is ~ US$1,100 per 100 g, and because of the relatively small and specialised nature of the markets and large potential reserves held by a small group of producers it is unlikely there will either be supply-side constraints to increase the market price or stronger inter-producer competition that will depress prices. Furthermore, although rubidium and caesium are often considered as interchangeable, the supply of caesium is greater and therefore any substitution is more likely to flow in the other direction.
PIO Price at posting:
1.9¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
