Master Alloys Companies

September 2023

After mining operations at the Elk Creek Project are completed and project financing is obtained, NioCorp Developments Ltd. intends to produce aluminum-scandium master alloy product from mining and upgrade facilities to be located in the United States. This could allow commercial and defence manufacturers to replace certain current aluminium parts in vehicles. Scandium-containing aluminium alloys provide notable property improvements and opportunities for weight reduction, especially in transportation applications. They are also a strong, corrosion-resistant, and weldable substitute for current aluminium options. Applications in the military and in strategy are anticipated to be substantial as well.

From its Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project in Nebraska, USA, NioCorp intends to produce a number of strategic metal products, including stansium, subject to a number of conditions, including securing enough project funding. 

Traditionally, a master alloy with 98% aluminium and 2% scandium is used to add scandium to Al-Sc alloys. NioCorp is currently producing Al-Sc MA on a pilot scale, with up to 5% or more scandium by weight. The company expects to produce the pilot-scale Al-Sc MA ingots in the upcoming weeks.

February 2023

The Russian Federation's largest aluminium manufacturer, UC Rusal, has started producing master alloys at Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter. These alloys will eventually be transformed into high-tech alloys, satisfying roughly half of the company's need for master alloys.

Thanks to a US$7.5 million investment at the plant, Krasnoyarsk can produce more than 5,000 metric tonnes of master aluminium alloys annually. Rusal intends to sell a portion of the production of master aluminium alloys to outside clients in addition to using it internally for the majority of the time.

Major players in the master alloys market attempting to increase market demand by investing in research and development operations include Belmont Metals (U.S.), KBM Affilips (Netherlands), Heraeus Holding (Germany), MMTC-PAMP (India), ALUMETAL S.A. (Poland), Asturiana de Aleaciones S.A. (Spain), Axayya Alloys Pvt. Ltd. (India), Minex Metallurgical Co.Ltd (India), N.V.(Netherlands) and Milward Alloys Inc. (U.S.).