Beerse-based Campine world leader in the production of antimony trioxide
Thanks to its unique process and installation, the Belgian chemical company Campine, based in Beerse in the Antwerp Kempen region, is a world leader in the production of antimony trioxide, a white crystalline powder derived from the semi-metal antimony, which is used to make plastics and textiles less flammable.
There is huge global demand for antimony. That is partly the reason why it is regarded a critical raw material. Antimony compounds are used a wide range of industries and applications, especially in industry and medicine.
Campine specialises in particular in the production of antimony trioxide. This compound is created by adding oxygen to the waste stream of end-of-life lead-acid batteries and other scrap metal melted in its 15-m-high blast furnace. This unique installation and process separates the antimony. It's therefore a question of recycling, more than ever to further reduce dependence on imports from Central and Southeast Asia. The company has come a long way in this regard over the last seven years: while in 2017 it was still importing 80% from China, the world's largest producer of antimony metal, by 2024 the figure was barely 4%.
Meanwhile, China itself has sharply reduced exports of antimony from its mines, thereby significantly driving up the global price. Aiming for self-sufficiency as much as possible, Campine has not really been affected. On the contrary: just about the entire world is knocking on its door for antimony trioxide.