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Mineral resources of Poland> Rock raw materials and others> Feldspar raw materials
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Feldspar raw materials

Feldspar raw materials are natural accumulations of various types of feldspar and feldspar-quartz rocks rich in alkali (Na2O + K2O equal at least 6.5%). Deposits of feldspar raw materials occur in Dolnośląskie and Małopolskie Voivodeships. These raw materials include leucogranites occurring in various regions of the Lower Silesian area i.e. in the vicinities of Strzeblów and in Izera Mts. (Kopaniec vicinities). Feldspar raw materials are also represented by feldspars of porphyry varieties of the Karkonosze granites from the vicinities of Karpniki, Maciejowa and Góra Sośnia in the Jelenia Góra Basin (Sudety Mts.). Other raw materials of that type occurring in the Silesian-Cracow region are: potassium trachyte from Siedlec and Kwaczała arcose from Wygiełzów.

Feldspar is one of the major raw materials in the ceramic industry. It is used in the form of powders and feldspar-quartz aggregates in the manufacture of the high-class porcelain and bone china, ceramic tiles, sanitary ceramics, enamel materials and in the glass industry. Feldspar raw materials are also recovered as by-products in the quarrying of granites rich in potassium feldspar.

Feldspar raw materials deposits are presented on the map.

Table 1 shows the current state of exploration and development of feldspar raw material deposits.

Anticipated economic resources decreased in 2018 by 0.07 million tonnes due to the exploitation and losses.

Economic resources of exploited deposits account for 32% of anticipated economic resources of these deposits. The output of feldspar raw materials decreased in 2018 by 19.72 thousand tonnes in relation to the previous year and amounted to 71.48 thousand tonnes. After the period of five consecutive years with the output growth, this was the first year of the feldspar raw materials exploitation drop. The output from Stary Łom deposit declined more than twice (by 47.14 thousand tonnes), whereas the output from Pagórki Wschodnie deposit increased almost twenty times over (by 27.42 thousand tonnes).

The figure given below shows changes in resources and production of feldspar raw materials in Poland in the years 1989-2018.

The demand for feldspar raw materials remains high in Poland. The domestic production of feldspar is used mainly in the manufacture of ceramic tiles.

Prepared by: Agnieszka Malon