Inventories

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]

Inventories

Inventories:

The following table provides a breakdown of inventories at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 (in thousands):

	March 31,		December 31,
	2020		2019
Finished goods(a)	$	562,231	$	495,639
Raw materials and work in process(b)	221,173		205,781
Stores, supplies and other	70,096		67,564
Total	$	853,500	$	768,984

(a) Increase primarily due to the build-up of inventory in Lithium and Catalysts for forecasted sales during the remainder of 2020.

(b)

Included $117.8 million and $109.3 million at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, of work in process in our Lithium segment.