Erbium sees continued demand in Europe from glass industry...

Erbium sees continued demand in Europe from glass industry
LONDON (Metal-Pages) 31-Jan-13.

Demand from the glass industry in Europe for erbium oxide continues to be seen though Chinese exporters are quoting a wide range of prices.

A number of traders said erbium lots are being bought particularly for the glass industry where demand has picked up significantly in the spot market compared with late last year. However, the glass industry is known to be price sensitive in relation to rare earths and some traders think demand for erbium, neodymium and cerium has been spurred by lower prices.

Traders said prices quoted from China on a CIF Rotterdam basis are in a range of $70-80/kg depending on their keenness to sell. “Prices need to be at the lower end of that range for there to be a realistic chance of getting any business done,” a European trader said.

A second trader said he'd seen good interest around the mid-$80 for erbium oxide.

-By Justin Pugsley in London ([email protected])