Zeolites: Extraction
How volcanic ash grows a framework of tiny cages
What this tab covers How it is mined, drilled or grown, and processed into a tradeable form: the main methods compared, their unit economics, by-products, and the companies that do this work globally and in India.Natural zeolites form when volcanic ash reacts with water in saline lakes or groundwater, crystallising into aluminosilicates with a cage-like framework. Those cages trap ions and small molecules, which explains their use in ammonia capture, odour control and water treatment. Deposits are bedded tuffs mined in open pits, then crushed, dried and screened. Higher-value grades may be activated or surface-modified. In the US, chabazite comes from Arizona and clinoptilolite from California, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas. Synthetic zeolites, made from chemicals for detergents and catalysts, are a separate industry.
Natural zeolites are mined like aggregates: open pits, drill and blast, then dry crushing and screening. There is no chemistry and little waste. Value comes from zeolite content, measured as cation exchange capacity, and from grading, activation or surface modification. Large producers in Slovakia, Georgia, Korea and China sell much of their tonnage as construction tuff. US producers sell smaller tonnages into feed, odor, farm and water markets at $50-300/t. Synthetic zeolites are a separate chemical industry.
Methods compared
| Method | Share of supply | Typical scale | Recovery / efficiency | By-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-pit mining with dry mechanical processing (specialty grades) | all US output (80,000 t in 2025, USGS) | Bear River Zeolite produced 11,095 short tons (about 10,100 t) in 2024; St. Cloud Mining about 18,000 t a year (2002) | n/a | n/a | Bear River reserve factors: mining $7.50/short ton mined, processing $159.24/short ton, G&A $76.19/short ton; 2024 average sale price $264/short ton (company report, 2025) |
| High-volume tuff quarrying for construction | a large but unquantified share of the 1.3 Mt world total (USGS) | Slovakia 280,000 t and Georgia 240,000 t in 2025 (USGS) | n/a | n/a | not published |
| Synthetic zeolite manufacture (chemical route) | not covered by USGS production data; nearly all US zeolite trade is synthetic (USGS) | not published | n/a | n/a | not published |
How each method works
Open-pit mining with dry mechanical processing (specialty grades)Ore is drilled, blasted and loaded by truck, then crushed, screened and bagged in sheds. No water or reagents are used. Grades are sold by particle size and cation exchange capacity.
Simple, low capital and no tailings; low value per tonne limits haul distance.
United States Antimony Corp, Bear River Zeolite technical report summary (SEC Exhibit 96.1, 2025); Austin, SME 2002 High-volume tuff quarrying for constructionZeolitic tuff is quarried and crushed for pozzolan in cement, lightweight aggregate or cut as dimension stone, often with low to moderate zeolite content.
Cheap bulk product; not comparable with US specialty tonnages.
USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) Synthetic zeolite manufacture (chemical route)Zeolites such as zeolite A and Y are crystallised in plants from sodium silicate and aluminium compounds, giving uniform pore sizes for detergent builders, refinery catalysts and molecular sieves.
Precise performance for catalysts and sieves; higher cost than natural zeolites.
USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural), import sources note Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs vary widely by deposit, region and year.Who does it: global
| Company | Country | Activity | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River Zeolite (United States Antimony Corp) Reserves 5.13 million short tons (May 2025); Q1 2025 output 3,802 short tons. | US | mining and processing (Franklin County, Idaho) | 11.1 thousand short tons produced | 2024 | USAC Bear River Zeolite technical report summary, SEC Exhibit 96.1 (2025) |
| St. Cloud Mining Company Only an old figure is available; current output not published. | US | clinoptilolite mining (Sierra County, New Mexico) | 18 kt a year (approx.) | 2002 | Austin, SME paper on the Stone House zeolite mine (2002) |
| Zeocem Company volume not published; Slovakia produced 280,000 t in 2025, the largest listed country (USGS). | Slovakia | clinoptilolite mining and processing | not published | n/a |
Who does it: India
USGS lists no natural zeolite production in India, and no Indian producer volumes were found. Synthetic zeolites used in detergents, refinery catalysts and adsorbents are a separate chemical market with no public Indian volume data found.