Käfersteige Mine

Würm, Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Käfersteige Mine is a fluorspar (fluorite) and baryte mine which also produced a wide range of other minerals.

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Käfersteige Mine was originally operated in 1935, before being closed in 1996 due to lowering demand for fluorite and its byproducts, partially due to a reduction of fluorocarbons and China becoming more dominant in the global supply of fluorspar.

Fluorspar is also used for steel and aluminium production.

Currently an effort is being made to reopen the mine, due to increased fluorspar demand due to lithium ion battery manufacture and in processing graphite, another essential component in modern battery technology.

As time goes on, these old fluorspar mines will start to become considered critical for national security and industry as countries look to become more self sufficient in a changing world.

Mindat lists more than 40 mineral species at the site, including Agardite, Bismite, Bismuthinite, Chalcopyrite, Emplectite, Fluorite, Hematite, Malachite and Quartz.

 

 

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