Metal Mining

 

 

Industrial Minerals

Construction Materials

National Statistics


Asbestos Barytes Bentonite Clays
Diatomite Feldspar Fluorspar Gypsum
Kaolin Lime Magnesite Perlite
Potash Refractory Clays Salt Silica Sand
Slate Soda Ash Sulphur Talc


Perlite

Is an amorphous glass mineral of volcanic origin that expands and becomes porous when it is heated. When heated, perlite can expand to as much as twenty times its original volume.

Perlite is known in industry in two forms:

- Crude perlite: prepared by the crushing and screening of perlite into various size fractions

- Expanded perlite: perlite after it has been heated
Perlite has a limited number of applications such as ladle topping, soap abrasive, polished, slag coagulant and as a silica source in the production of calcium-silicate insulation material.

Links:
- U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Commodieties Summaries
- The Perlite Institute
,
- The European Perlite and European Vermiculite Association




Perlite Production
Thousand Tonnes

 
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Europe
 
Armenia
29.996
49.963
50.000
35.000
35.000
Greece
1.053.388
1.075.129
1.039.150
900.373
861.157
Hungary
65.000
69.900
71.019
68.000
132.000
Russia (Europe)
56.000
55.000
52.000
45.000
45.000
Slovakia
16.000
8.500
10.560
13.000
15.500
Turkey
133.829
156.935
145.000
160.000
160.000
total
1.354.213
1.415.427
1.367.729
1.221.373
1.248.657
 
Asia
Iran
26.495
30.051
30.000
30.000
40.307
Japan
255.000
240.000
240.000
240.000
230.000
Philippines
7.200
4.409
4.000
4.515
4.593
total
288.695
274.460
274.000
274.515
274.900
 
America
Argentina
20.000
21.991
25.146
35.838
26.545
Mexico
188.027
91.724
81.719
54.405
43.180
United States
508.000
508.000
454.000
409.000
434.178
total
716.027
621.715
560.865
499.243
503.903
 
Africa
South Africa
540
530
400
400
400
total
540
530
400
400
400
 
Oceania
Australia
2.100
2.000
4.000
7.000
7.000
New Zealand
5.600
7.310
3.552
7.873
6.000
total
7.700
9.310
7.552
14.873
13.000
 
WORLD TOTAL
2.367.175
2.321.442
2.210.546
2.010.404
2.040.860