VERMICULITE (Data in thousand metric tons, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: One company, with mining and processing facilities in South Carolina, remained the largest producer of vermiculite concentrate. Three other companies each had an active operation for producing concentrate; two in South Carolina, and one in Virginia. Most of the vermiculite concentrate was shipped to 25 exfoliating plants in 16 States. The end uses for exfoliated vermiculite were estimated to be agriculture, 55%; insulation, 23%; lightweight concrete aggregates, including concrete, plaster, and cement premixes, 16%; and other, 6%. Salient Statistics--United States: 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production1/ 180 190 190 180 170 Imports for consumptione/ 38 40 30 30 35 Exportse/ 10 8 7 7 5 Consumption, apparent, concentrate 208 222 213 203 200 Consumption, exfoliated 136 140 140 130 130 Price, average value, concentrate, dollars per ton, f.o.b. mine W W W W W Stocks, producer, yearend NA NA NA NA NA Employment, mine and mille/ 230 230 230 230 230 Net import reliance2/ as a percent of apparent consumption 13 14 11 11 15 Recycling: Insignificant. Import Sources (1991-94):e/ South Africa, 99%; and other, 1%. Tariff: Item Number Most favored nation (MFN) Non-MFN3/ 12/31/95 12/31/95 Mineral substances not specifically provided for 2530.10.0000 Free Free. Exfoliated vermiculite as mixtures and articles of heat-insulating, sound-insulating, or sound-absorbing materials 6806.20.0000 3.9% ad val. 30% ad val. Depletion Allowance: 14% (Domestic), 14% (Foreign). Government Stockpile: None. Prepared by Michael J. Potter, (703) 648-7723. VERMICULITE Events, Trends, and Issues: During the past few years, agricultural (horticultural, soil conditioning, etc.) applications have been the largest end use of exfoliated vermiculite. According to a non-Government source, vermiculite is used in building boards of various types. For example, fine-sized, untreated vermiculite concentrates are included in fire-resistant plaster board, and exfoliated vermiculite is used in some lightweight wallboard and in various refractory board products. Ground, thermally exfoliated vermiculite is utilized as filler in friction materials, such as a replacement for asbestos in brake linings. World Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Mine production Reserves4/ Reserve base4/ 1994 1995e/ United States1/ 180 170 25,000 100,000 Russia 40 40 NA NA South Africa 223 220 20,000 80,000 Other countries5/ 43 60 5,000 20,000 World total5/ 486 490 50,000 200,000 World Resources: Marginal reserves of vermiculite, occurring in Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming, are estimated to be 2 to 3 million tons. Resources in other countries may include material that does not exfoliate as well as U.S. and South African vermiculite. Total world resources are estimated to be up to three times the reserve amount. Substitutes: Expanded perlite is a substitute for vermiculite in lightweight concrete and plaster. Other more dense but less costly material substitutes in these applications are expanded clay, shale, slate, and slag. Alternate materials for loosefill fireproofing insulation include fiberglass, perlite, and slag wool. In agriculture, substitutes include peat, perlite, sawdust, bark and other plant materials, and synthetic soil conditioners. e/Estimated. NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 1/Concentrate sold and used by producers. 2/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes. 3/See Appendix B. 4/See Appendix C for definitions. 5/Excludes countries for which information is not available. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996