29 July 2025
Fluorite, also known as fluorspar, is a mineral belonging to the halide class, with the chemical formula CaF₂ (calcium fluoride). It occurs naturally in a wide range of colours, including purple, green, blue, yellow and colourless, a characteristic due to the presence of impurities and lattice defects. One of the most fascinating aspects of fluorite is its fluorescence, which can be observed under ultraviolet light, a phenomenon from which the term “fluorescence” itself derives.
From a crystallographic point of view, fluorite crystallises in the cubic or octahedral system, forming well-defined crystals. It has a hardness of 4 on the Mohs scale and a conchoidal fracture. Its specific gravity varies between 3.0 and 3.3.
Geologically, fluorite is mainly deposited in hydrothermal veins, often in association with galena, sphalerite, barite and calcite, but it can also be found in stratiform deposits of epithermal origin.
Fluorite is an extremely versatile mineral, essential for numerous strategic industrial sectors. Its main application is in the production of hydrofluoric acid (HF), used for the synthesis of numerous products, including fluoropolymers such as PTFE and PVDF, which are fundamental in the chemical, aerospace, medical and technological fields.
In the metallurgical sector, fluorite is used in the processing of steel, aluminium and other metals, where it is involved in the smelting process, improving its performance. Fluorite is also essential in the cement, ceramics and precision optics industries, thanks to its unique physical and chemical properties.
In recent years, interest in fluorite has grown due to its importance in the ecological transition, as it is essential in the production of batteries, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines and superconductors. Its strategic nature has also been recognised by the European Union and most of the world’s major economies, which have included it in their list of critical raw materials.
The world’s leading producers of fluorite are located in China, Mexico, Mongolia and South Africa, which alone account for over 75% of global production. This concentration creates vulnerability in the international market.
In Europe, production is limited and insufficient to meet domestic demand, which is why the EU has included fluorite among its critical raw materials.
From a geological point of view, the most productive deposits are found in rock formations of hydrothermal origin, where magmatic fluids rich in fluorine give rise to mostly vein-type mineralised bodies, deposited within fractures in the surrounding rock.
Understanding the geography of fluorite is crucial not only for analysing the global supply chain, but also for identifying new opportunities for exploration and diversification, reducing the risks associated with the concentration of sources.
The revival of European fluorite production fits perfectly within the framework of the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to ensure the strategic autonomy of the continent’s industry through the development of internal supply chains for critical raw materials.
Currently, Europe covers only 6% of its fluorite needs. New projects in the pipeline in countries such as Italy, Germany and Spain will enable EU domestic production to grow, but not by more than 12% of domestic demand. Reducing dependence on non-EU countries is essential to ensure price stability, security of supply and environmental sustainability.
Mining reshoring, i.e. the return of mining activities within European borders, is therefore a key strategy not only for economic reasons, but also to reduce emissions linked to intercontinental transport and to ensure stricter environmental controls. Europe is called upon to develop a new industrial paradigm, in which secure and sustainable access to natural resources becomes the cornerstone of future competitiveness.
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