The Bauxite Index
WHAT IS BAUXITE INDEX?
The CBIX Value-in-Use (ViU) adjusted bauxite price index, the world’s first and most widely quoted bauxite index, is an initiative which has evolved over many years of detailed bauxite industry experience, analysis and price assessments by the CM Group.
In 2020, we take our bauxite reference pricing to the next level by rolling out five new global indexes, namely,
- CBIX HT,
- CBIX LT,
- Guinea LT,
- Indonesia LT and
- Australia HT.
These indexes are all China-centric, as China alone accounts for more than 90% of the global third-party traded bauxite market.
THE BPI CALC CALCULATOR APP
The BPI CALC App provides a simple tool to give indicative estimates on price for any bauxite, CIF Shandong (US$/dmt). The coefficients in the calculator are updated weekly so the results reflect the market at the time.
It must be noted that while the calculated price is reflective of the market at the time it is only indicative and cannot be relied on as a price guarantee. For a more accurate price estimate please contact the CM Group via the links on the website or using the details provided in this document.
DOWNLOAD BPI CALC APP TODAY
HOW TO USE THE CBIX CALCULATOR
The Al2O3% input
The alumina input should be all the alumina (on a dry basis) that would take part in the digestion reactions during the envisaged refining process for the bauxite.
For a gibbsitic bauxite undergoing low temperature refining the alumina would be all the gibbsitic alumina plus the alumina contained in any clays (e.g. kaolinite). Put into more standard industry jargon the alumina input would typically be the Available Alumina plus the Reactive Silica.
For a boehmitic or diasporic bauxite undergoing high temperature refining the alumina input would be the total alumina present in the bauxite.
The SiO2% input
The silica input should be all the silica (on a dry basis) that reacts during the envisaged refining process.
For a gibbsitic bauxite undergoing low temperature refining this would typically be the Reactive Silica (i.e. the silica contained in the clays such as kaolinite). For a boehmitic or diasporic bauxite undergoing high temperature refining the silica input would typically be the total silica content of the bauxite.
The H2O % input
At present the H2O % input has little impact on the CFR price. The moisture content of the bauxite effects the freight rate that any bauxite shipment attracts – so it will effect the FOB price that can be realised. The Chinese market is accepting of a wide range of moisture contents, but typically the moisture content would be no greater than 20%.
