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