# Perlite: Overview

Building, gardening and filtering: where expanded perlite goes

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

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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Building construction products: lightweight plaster and concrete, insulation boards, roof boards, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant panels** | 45% | about 266,000 t a year in the USbasis | Perlite is a volcanic glass that expands up to 20 times its volume when flash-heated, giving light, fire-resistant, insulating granules. In plaster, concrete and roof board it cuts weight and adds insulation at low cost. Construction has consistently been the leading use (USGS). USGS MCS 2026, Perlite | Diatomite, expanded clay and shale, pumice and slag (USGS) Exfoliated vermiculite Mineral wool and polymer foams (insulation) |
| **Horticultural aggregate (potting mixes, hydroponics, soil conditioning)** | 15% | about 89,000 t a year in the USbasis | White expanded perlite holds moisture on its surface while keeping air spaces open, so soil does not compact. It is sterile, light and cheap, and both commercial growers and hobby gardeners use it (USGS). USGS MCS 2026 | Coco coir, pumice, vermiculite and wood pulp (USGS) Rockwool in hydroponics |
| **Filter aids (beer, wine, juice, sugar, chemicals, water)** | 15% | about 89,000 t a year in the USbasis | Milled expanded perlite forms a light, porous filter cake. It competes with diatomite in filtration, often at lower weight per batch and without the crystalline silica concerns of calcined diatomite. USGS MCS 2026, Perlite and Diatomite | Diatomite (main competitor) Cellulose fibre filters and membranes |
| **Other: fillers, specialty and cryogenic insulation, miscellaneous** | 25% | about 148,000 t a year in the USbasis | Ground expanded perlite is a light filler in paints, plastics and cleaners, and loose perlite insulates cryogenic tanks and high-temperature equipment. Fillers were a leading use in earlier years, but USGS now withholds the figure. USGS MCS 2026 | Diatomite, talc and calcium carbonate (fillers) Vermiculite and aerogel (insulation) |

 Shares are US end uses of expanded perlite in 2025, applied to US apparent consumption of crude perlite (USGS). World output was about 4.6 Mt in 2025 (USGS); China uses most of its own output.

#### From mine to user

1. **1. Deposit** Perlite is a hydrated volcanic glass. Major deposits are in China, Greece (Milos), Turkey and the western US; Greece holds 180 Mt of reserves (USGS 2026).
2. **2. Open-pit mining** Ore is ripped or blasted in open pits; US crude ore output was 730,000 t from nine mines run by six companies in 2025, led by New Mexico (USGS).
3. **3. Crude processing** Crushed, dried and screened into size grades at the mine. US processed crude perlite sold for about $78/t f.o.b. mine in 2025 (USGS).
4. **4. Shipping crude** Dense crude perlite travels cheaply by bulk ship and rail; Greece supplied 94% of US imports in 2021-24 (USGS).
5. **5. Expansion** Near markets, crude is flash-heated in furnaces so the water inside turns to steam and the glass puffs up to 20 times its volume. The US had 53 expansion plants in 29 states (USGS).
6. **6. End users** Board, plaster and concrete makers, growers and potting-mix packers, breweries and chemical filters.

#### Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25

No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
 World production 5.00 m tonnes, 2024 Largest producer China 30.03% of world

#### Three things to know

- Perlite expands up to 20 times its original volume when rapidly heated.
- Greece supplied 94% of US perlite imports in 2021–24.
- China, Turkey, Greece and the United States produced 92% of world perlite in 2025.

#### Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days

No recent articles from the listed publishers were found in the snapshot.

#### Read the tabs
[Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/extraction/)[Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/production/)[Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/stocks/)[Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/cycles/)[Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/trading/)[Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/movement/)[Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/criticality/)[Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/characteristics/)[Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/emissions/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/perlite/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)