Raw materials and minerals are essential to every industry and every aspect of life. The glass industry is no exception. Glass manufacturing adds value to a low-cost raw material but at a high cost of energy, technology and capital. In a high-volume glass business, the purchased raw material is typically less than 25% of the total manufactured cost of the product and less than 15% of the selling price. The cost of raw materials for glass containers may be 13$ while for colour TV tubes could be 45% of the cost to manufacture, for example. This article goes back to basics in terms of the importance, both individually and collectively, of raw materials, to the glass melting batch, while detailing the current state of the global market for each respective material.
