Zeolites: Overview
Why farm animals are the biggest customers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal feed additive | 42% | about 32,300 t in the USbasis | Clinoptilolite's open crystal cage swaps cations and binds ammonia and some toxins, and it is a cheap, inert flow agent. Feed mixers add it as an anticaking agent and to manage ammonia in animal diets and housing. USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) | Bentonite Diatomite Fuller's earth Kaolin, silica and talc (anticaking) |
| Odor control | 15% | about 11,600 t in the USbasis | Zeolites adsorb ammonia and other odor molecules in their pores and can be regenerated, so they are sold for barns, refrigerators, shoes and waste areas at a few hundred dollars a tonne. USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) | Activated carbon Bentonite and other absorbent clays Silica gel |
| Soil amendment, ice melt and synthetic turf infill | n/a | n/a basis | In soil, zeolite holds ammonium and potassium and releases them slowly, and it retains water; in turf and ice melt it gives traction and absorbs moisture. These newer markets have offset losses in pet litter. USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) | Bentonite and montmorillonite Gypsum and peat Perlite and vermiculite Silica sand |
| Water purification and wastewater treatment | n/a | n/a basis | Zeolite filter media remove ammonium and heavy metals by ion exchange and can be backwashed and regenerated, a cheaper option than synthetic resins for municipal and aquaculture uses. USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) | Activated carbon Diatomite Silica sand |
| Pet litter and absorbents | n/a | n/a basis | Zeolite absorbs liquid and odor, but clumping bentonite now dominates litter, so this is a shrinking traditional market (USGS). USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) | Bentonite Diatomite, fuller's earth and sepiolite Paper, straw and wood litters Silica gel |
| Construction (pozzolanic cement, lightweight aggregate, dimension stone) | n/a | n/a basis | Altered volcanic tuffs react with lime in cement to add strength, and are light and easy to cut. Here the rock itself, not its zeolite content, is what is sold. USGS MCS 2026, Zeolites (Natural) and Cement | Fly ash and slag (pozzolans) Pumice, perlite and volcanic tuff (aggregate) |
From mine to user
- Deposit Natural zeolites form when volcanic ash in lakes or marine basins alters to clinoptilolite, chabazite and similar minerals.
- Open-pit mining Bear River Zeolite in Idaho drills, blasts and trucks ore from 20-foot benches (company technical report, 2025).
- Dry crushing and screening Ore is crushed and screened in enclosed sheds with no water or reagents and no tailings (Bear River Zeolite).
- Upgrading Some products are activated by heat or surface-modified; price varies with zeolite content, particle size and activation (USGS).
- Packaging and sale Bagged or bulk product goes to feed, farm, water and odor-control buyers; US sales were 77,000 t in 2025 (USGS).
- Use and regeneration Zeolites used in water treatment, gas absorption and desiccants can be reprocessed and reused (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
- Animal feed took 42% of US natural zeolite sales by tonnage in 2025, ahead of odour control at 15%.
- US natural zeolite production and sales nearly doubled between 1995 and 2025.
- Slovakia was the largest reported producer in 2025, at about 280,000 t.
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
No recent articles from the listed publishers were found in the snapshot.