MgFeSi should be bought on the cost of magnesium that actually enters the iron, not on the price per tonne of alloy. Two offers at the same price can differ by two percentage points of magnesium, by four percentage points of rare earth, by a 3 mm versus 10 mm size band and by the payload a 20 foot container actually carries, and those differences decide the real cost per tonne of treated iron. Middle East foundries that get this balance right score every offer on contained magnesium value, chemical fit, freight and supply security, then choose the lowest total cost rather than the lowest quotation.

The region's foundries buy across a wide range of grades, from FeSiMg6Re1 for general ductile work to FeSiMg10Re7 for heavy sections and high sulfur iron, usually in container loads from a single supplier relationship. Because freight is a significant share of landed cost and because ports and inland haulage vary, the procurement decision has more variables than a simple price comparison. A structured scorecard keeps those variables visible.

Four cost components decide what a tonne of treated iron actually pays for nodulization.

The second line is the one most often ignored in procurement, because it is a plant performance figure rather than a supplier figure. A grade that recovers two percentage points less magnesium in a given ladle has to be dosed heavier, and the saving on the invoice is repaid in the melt shop.

Grade fit is a technical screen applied before price, not a tie breaker afterwards.

Scoring grade fit first prevents the common error of buying a cheaper low magnesium grade for heavy section work, then paying for the difference in rejected castings and re-treatment alloy.

A comparison sheet with four weighted columns makes the trade-offs visible.

1. Contained magnesium value, calculated from analysed magnesium content rather than the nominal grade

2. Rare earth content against the section range, with any excess treated as cost rather than benefit

3. Size band and undersize tolerance, since fines reduce recovery in open ladle work

4. Packing and payload, at 1 MT big bags and 20 to 25 MT per 20 foot container

5. Delivery basis, with dispatch readiness of 7 to 10 working days after payment as the reference

6. Verification support, including lot certificates, retained samples and method statements

Weighing those six on a fixed scale, rather than arguing about the headline price, converts a subjective negotiation into a documented decision.

Supply security is a premium, and it should be priced rather than assumed.

A foundry that has never run out of alloy tends to underprice this column, and one that has run out once tends to overprice it. The correct figure sits between the two, based on the cost of a stopped line per day.

The balance is not a one-off decision, because grade needs, freight rates and supplier capability all move.

• Quarterly: review consumption per grade and recovery figures against the plan

• Half yearly: re-score offers, including any new supplier with documented capacity

• Annually: review the grade list against the casting mix and the section range

• On any process change: re-check the grade fit before the next container is ordered

• On any supply disruption: record the cause and adjust stock cover rather than the grade

No. A lower magnesium grade requires heavier dosing to reach the same residual, and a coarser or dirtier product recovers less magnesium in the ladle, so the invoice saving can be lost in the melt shop.

Convert each offer to contained magnesium per tonne of alloy, then apply the plant's measured recovery for that size band and treatment method. That gives a cost per tonne of magnesium delivered to the iron.

Only where the section range needs it. Excess rare earth adds cost and can promote carbides in thin sections, so it should be treated as a technical requirement rather than a quality upgrade.

It affects payload and handling. Standard 1 MT big bags at 20 to 25 MT per 20 foot container are the practical baseline, and a different format has to justify itself through lower handling loss or better protection.

Dispatch readiness of 7 to 10 working days after payment is the usual reference, with ocean transit and inland delivery added on top. Planning should use the longest credible transit rather than the average.

Single sourcing simplifies consistency but concentrates risk. Many foundries keep one primary supplier with reserved tonnage and one qualified alternative that has passed a trial, without splitting volume equally.

Ask for three consecutive lot certificates with methods and lot numbers, run one container through independent sampling, then trial three heats on a fixed pattern and compare nodularity, recovery and defects against the current supply.

Buying on price per tonne with the grade chosen by habit, then discovering that the grade either does not suit the section range or delivers lower recovery than the previous supply.

ZhenAn offers MgFeSi across FeSiMg6Re1 to FeSiMg10Re7, ISO 9001:2015 certified, at 2000 MT monthly capacity, packed in 1 MT big bags at 20 to 25 MT per 20 foot container, with dispatch 7 to 10 working days after payment. Offers can be quoted per grade with contained magnesium stated, so that comparisons are made on the same basis.

Send the casting mix, grade list, monthly tonnage and discharge port for a costed comparison.

Cost comparisons can be built from the published offers on the rare earth FeSiMg nodulant lump page and the high purity FeSiMg desulfurization page, with the general purpose grade on the FeSiMg6Re1 nodulizer page.