Kyanite: Overview
Why steelmakers are the customers that really count
What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refractories for iron and steel (ladles, blast furnaces, reheat furnaces) | 58.5% | about 24,800-29,000 t in the USbasis | Kyanite, andalusite and sillimanite (all Al2SiO5) convert on firing to mullite, which keeps its strength and shape at very high temperature and resists thermal shock and slag. Kyanite expands as it converts, which offsets shrinkage in castables and bricks. USGS MCS 2026, Kyanite and Related Minerals | Synthetic mullite (sintered or fused, from bauxite or kaolin) Refractory-grade bauxite Superduty fire clays and other high-alumina materials |
| Refractories for cement, glass, chemicals and nonferrous metals | 31.5% | about 12,400-16,600 t in the USbasis | Mullite-forming minerals give kiln linings and kiln furniture that tolerate heat cycling, which suits rotary cement kilns, glass furnaces and aluminium and copper smelters. USGS MCS 2026, Kyanite and Related Minerals | Synthetic mullite Refractory bauxite Fire clays |
| Other uses: abrasives, friction, ceramics and foundry | 10% | about 4,600 t in the USbasis | Hard, heat-stable alumino-silicate grains go into brake shoes and pads, grinding and cutting wheels, electrical porcelain, sanitaryware and whiteware, and precision-casting moulds where low expansion matters. USGS MCS 2026, Kyanite and Related Minerals | Fused alumina and silicon carbide (abrasives) Zircon and silica sands (foundry) Kaolin and feldspar (ceramics) |
From mine to user
- Deposit Kyanite occurs in aluminous schists and quartzites (Virginia ore grades 10-40%, averaging about 25% kyanite); andalusite in metamorphic rocks in South Africa, France and Peru; sillimanite also in beach sands (Virginia Energy 2023; USGS).
- Open-pit mining Kyanite Mining Corp works two hard-rock pits, Willis Mountain and East Ridge, near Dillwyn, Virginia (operating since 1945).
- Concentration Ore is crushed and upgraded by flotation and magnetic separation; KMC's capacity is about 130,000 t a year of concentrate (Virginia Energy 2023).
- Calcining to mullite Some kyanite is calcined to mullite (more than 55% Al2O3, under 0.85% Fe2O3); KMC can calcine up to 39,000 t a year. Andalusite can be used raw.
- Refractory manufacture Refractory makers blend the grains into bricks, castables and kiln furniture.
- Furnace use Iron and steel take 60-70% of refractory use; global crude steel output was 1,231 Mt in January-August 2025 (USGS).
- End of life Recycling of spent refractories is insignificant today but expected to grow (USGS).
Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
Three things to know
- Kyanite, andalusite and sillimanite are polymorphs: identical Al2SiO5 chemistry, different crystal structures.
- Ninety per cent of US kyanite-mullite output goes into refractories, mostly for iron and steel furnaces.
- The average value of US kyanite exports rose from $369 to $510 per tonne between 2021 and 2025.
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
No recent articles from the listed publishers were found in the snapshot.