Minerals such as bauxite, alumina, zircon sand and magnesia are sourced outside the Group. They are fused in electric-arc furnaces and then processed into the following main product families:
fused aluminum oxide grains, also known as corundum, are produced by fusing alumina or calcined bauxite and sold either in macro or micro grains (> or < 70 microns) as an abrasive or refractory mineral due to its superior hardness, mechanical strength and thermal stability;
tabular alumina, ;
fused zirconia, sold in sized grains or very fine powders (less than 1 micron), has an excellent thermal shock resistance and is largely used in pigments, refractories, zirconium metal and abrasives industries;
zircon sand, milled and processed into flour and opacifiers for the ceramic industry;
zirconium chemicals, only produced in China through a complex chemical process;
fused magnesia grains, for high-end specialty applications;