Vermiculite: Overview
Why gardens are vermiculite's biggest customer
Why gardens are vermiculite's biggest customer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horticulture and agriculture (potting mixes, seed starting, soil conditioning, carriers) | 30% | about 16,500 t of exfoliated vermiculite in the USbasis | Exfoliated vermiculite is light, sterile, holds water and nutrients, and keeps potting mixes open so roots get air. It is mineral, so it does not rot like bark or peat, and growers can buy it in consistent sized grades. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Vermiculite | Peat and bark Expanded perlite Sawdust and other plant materials Synthetic soil conditioners |
| Lightweight concrete aggregates, cement premixes and plaster | 16% | about 8,800 t in the USbasis | Once heated, vermiculite flakes puff up into a very low density granule. Mixed into concrete, screeds and plasters it cuts weight and adds thermal and fire insulation, useful in fire-protection plasters and roof decks. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Vermiculite | Expanded perlite (main substitute) Expanded clay, shale, slag or slate (denser but cheaper) |
| Insulation (loose-fill and fireproofing) | 15% | about 8,250 t in the USbasis | Exfoliated vermiculite does not burn, is insoluble and traps air between its layers, so it insulates at high temperatures. It is poured as loose fill or used in high-temperature boards and fire barriers. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Vermiculite; Palabora Mining Company product page | Fibreglass Perlite Slag wool |
| Other uses (USGS does not break this group down) | 39% | about 21,450 t in the USbasis | This large residual group covers many small industrial markets where a light, non-combustible, absorbent mineral is useful. USGS gives no split, so the individual applications cannot be quantified. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Vermiculite | Perlite Expanded clays Organic absorbents |
From mine to user
- Mining Vermiculite, a hydrated mica, is dug from open pits; world output was about 460,000 t in 2025, 35% from South Africa (USGS).
- Concentration and grading Ore is crushed, cleaned and screened into crude concentrate grades; Palabora sells five grades from 8-2.8 mm down to 0.71-0.25 mm, with bulk density of 700-1,050 kg/m3.
- Shipping the dense concentrate Unexpanded concentrate is shipped because it is dense; the US imported about 38,000 t in 2025, mostly from Brazil and South Africa (USGS).
- Exfoliation near the market Concentrate is flash-heated so water between the layers turns to steam and the flakes expand many times; the US has 12 exfoliating plants run by 10 companies in seven States (USGS).
- Blending and packaging Exfoliated grades go into potting mixes, premixed plasters, boards and loose-fill bags.
- End use Growers, builders and insulation contractors use the product; US reported exfoliated use was 55,000 t in 2025 (USGS).
Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
World production 524k tonnes, 2024 Largest producer South Africa 31.15% of worldThree things to know
- Agriculture takes about 30% of US exfoliated vermiculite, the largest single use (USGS).
- South Africa produced about 35% of world vermiculite in 2025 (USGS).
- Vermiculite concentrate is shipped dense and expanded near customers at 12 US exfoliating plants in seven states (USGS).
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
No recent articles from the listed publishers were found in the snapshot.