Minerals

Feldspar

Feldspars are aluminosilicates containing varying amounts of calcium, potassium, or sodium.

 

Market Information In glassmaking, feldspar provides alumina for improving hardness, durability, and resistance to chemical corrosion. In ceramics, feldspar is used as a flux, lowering the vitrifying temperature of a ceramic body during firing and forming a glassy phase. Glass and ceramics continued to be the major end uses of feldspar. (Michael J. Potter, USGS Minerals Information Office).

 

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Silica

Industrial sand and gravel, often called "silica," "silica sand," and "quartz sand," includes sands and gravels with high silicon dioxide (SiO2) content.

 

Market Information: These sands are used in glassmaking; for foundry, abrasive, and hydraulic fracturing (frac) applications; and for many otherindustrial uses. (Thomas P. Dolley, USGS Commodity Specialist)

 

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Clays

Six types of clays are mined in the United States. Mineral composition, plasticity, color, absorption qualities, firing characteristics, and clarification properties are a few of the characteristics used to distinguish between the different clay types.

 

Market Information: Major domestic markets for these clays are as follows: sanitaryware and ceramic tile for ball clays; absorbents, drilling mud, foundry sand bonding agent, and iron ore pelletizing for bentonite; brick, lightweight aggregate, and portland cement clinker for common clay and shale; refractories for fire clay; absorbents for fuller's earth; and paper and refractory markets for kaolin.(Robert L. Virta, USGS Commodity Specialist)

 

 

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