Lithium fluoride prices in the USA rebounded sharply in early March after a volatile February marked by mid month weakness tied to seasonal demand and Lunar New Year slowdowns in China. February began with balanced conditions, but softer downstream procurement and falling feedstock costs pushed sellers to discount, triggering a temporary price slide. By early March, however, enquiry levels strengthened, and near term availability tightened, lifting spot values and reversing February’s losses. The escalation of conflict in the Middle East added a clear war impact, as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz drove up global energy and freight costs, injecting a risk premium into battery material markets. Weekly assessments captured this shift, with prices jumping 14.3% for the week ending March 08 amid precautionary logistics adjustments and tighter short term cargo availability. Looking ahead, ChemAnalyst expects largely stable pricing supported by balanced inventories and steady imports, though persistent geopolitical uncertainty may continue to influence freight linked costs and sentiment.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
