# Fluorspar

Calcium fluoride, the source of nearly all fluorine chemicals, from refrigerants to aluminium smelting, and China mines most of it.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/

Industrial minerals · No. 57

- EU critical 2023
- US critical 2025
- HHI 4,884 · highly concentrated
 Industrial minerals · Foundation · Matter

Almost every fluorine chemical, from refrigerants to battery salts, starts as fluorspar, and China mines about 60% of it.

Chart: Illustration: Fluorspar

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Fluorspar is fluorite, calcium fluoride, formed in hydrothermal veins often with lead, zinc or barite. It is mined underground or in pits and upgraded by flotation.

##### Three things to know

1. Acid-grade fluorspar, above 97% CaF2, feeds hydrofluoric acid; lower metallurgical grade serves as a flux in steel and cement.
2. China's fluorspar imports jumped 48% to 856,000 t in the first half of 2025, with 86% coming from Mongolia.
3. World phosphate rock reserves hold about 5 billion t of fluorspar equivalent, 15 times the listed fluorspar reserves.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Vein deposit**Hydrothermal veins, often with lead or barite
2. 2 **Flotation**Mined and upgraded by flotation
3. 3 **Grading**Acid grade above 97% CaF2
4. 4 **HF acid**Reacted with sulfuric acid
5. 5 **End uses**Refrigerants, fluoropolymers, AlF3, battery chemicals
 Covered in [What makes something a commodityCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/what-is-a-commodity/)

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/links/index.md)