Baku, Azerbaijan, June 29
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran's first antimony ingot producing factory, located in the country's southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province has started test production, Abouzar Shahbakhsh, a local official said.
Sefidabeh Antimony Complex is 100 percent completed and in test operation to produce antimony concentrate with the grade of 26 to 32 percent to finally produce antimony ingots, Shahbakhsh said, Iran 's IRNA news agency reported June 29.
Iran's southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province holds about 250,000 metric tons of antimony reserves.
The reserves discovered in the province's Sefidabeh mine are equal to 10 percent of the world's estimated 2 million metric tons of antimony reserves, Iranian officials say.
The mine is capable of producing 100 metric tons of antimony per month with high purity.
Besides the Sefidabeh mine, four other antimony mines will be operational in the province in the future, Shahbakhsh said.
He further added that each metric ton of antimony ingot accounts for some $10,000.
Antimony is a rare chemical element that is used in petrochemical, electronic, aerospace, military and chemical industries.
Edited by CN
Follow the author on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh