Where is vermiculite mined and where is it used?

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral mined in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, India, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia.

Mined vermiculite ore is milled to produce vermiculite concentrate of various sizes and grades. When rapidly heated, vermiculite concentrate expands to form small, light-weight, accordion-shaped granules.

Vermiculite is used in construction products (loose-fill attic insulation, acoustic finishes, spray-on fireproofing, gypsum plaster, concrete mixes for swimming pools), consumer products (packing materials, adsorbent in laboratories), agricultural and horticultural products (animal feed, bulking agent, fertilizers, pesticides, seed encapsulant, hydroponics, potting mixes, soil conditioners), and in industrial products (brake shoes and pads, drilling muds, furnaces, filters, insulator blocks, paints, and sealants).