Minchem Ltd (ACCS Ltd)

Starting in the late 1970s, we began our journey at Podmore and Sons Ltd, based in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Podmore specialized in manufacturing and supplying a range of frits, glazes, ceramic raw materials and equipment to worldwide markets. Among other zirconia related activities (such as using zircon), Podmore was processing a natural zirconia (Baddeleyite) feedstock from Palabora Mining Co Ltd (PMC). The Palabora mine was a volcanic column of high-grade Copper ore, located in Phalaborwa, South Africa. An impurity removed in order to obtain the Copper ore was Baddeleyite. One of the largest customers for this rare and amazing mineral was Daichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo Co. Ltd (DKKK), a zirconia ceramic powder specialist, based in Japan. This led to Podmore and DKKK developing a partnership to promote processed zirconia powders into worldwide markets.