# Perlite

A volcanic glass that puffs up like popcorn when heated, giving light, fire-resistant insulation, plasters, filter aids and potting mixes.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/

Industrial minerals · No. 70

- Not on a critical list
- HHI 2,254 · moderately concentrated
 Industrial minerals · Foundation · Matter

Heat perlite quickly and it pops like popcorn, swelling up to 20 times into a light, white granule.

Chart: Illustration: Perlite

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Perlite is a volcanic glass holding a few per cent of water. It is quarried, crushed and dried, then flash-heated so the water turns to steam and the grains expand up to 20 times.

##### Three things to know

1. China, Turkey, Greece and the United States produced 92% of world perlite in 2025.
2. Building construction products took 45% of US expanded perlite in 2025, with horticulture and filter aids at 15% each.
3. Greece holds about 180 Mt of listed reserves, the most of any country, and supplied 94% of US imports in 2021-24.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Volcanic glass**Rhyolitic glass holding 2-5% water
2. 2 **Open pit**Quarried from surface deposits
3. 3 **Processed crude**Crushed, dried and sized
4. 4 **Shipment**Sent to expansion plants near markets
5. 5 **Expansion**Flash-heated until it puffs up
6. 6 **End uses**Plaster, insulation board, filters, potting mixes

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/links/index.md)