Where does vermiculite come from?

Answer 1

As above ... it is a rock. In nature it looks lilke flat black or brown glass, but when heated it puffs up like popcorn; thats the way you will usually see it.

Answer 2

Vermiculite is the mineralogical name given to hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-ironsilicate which resembles mica in appearance.

Vermiculite is found in various parts of the world. Locations of the predominant commercial mines are in Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, South Africa, USA and Zimbabwe.

Answer 3

Vermiculite has been used in various industries for over 80 years. It is used in the construction, agricultural, horticultural, and industrial markets.

Vermiculite is the mineralogical name given to hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-ironsilicate which resembles mica in appearance.

Vermiculite is found in various parts of the world. Locations of the predominant commercial mines are in Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, South Africa, USA and Zimbabwe.

Vermiculite mines are surface operations where ore is separated from other minerals, and then screened or classified into several basic particle sizes.

When subjected to heat vermiculite has the unusual property of exfoliating or expanding into worm-like pieces (the name vermiculite is derived from the Latin 'vermiculare' - to breed worms).

This characteristic of exfoliation, the basis for commercial use of the mineral, is the result of the mechanical separation of the layers by the rapid conversion of contained water to steam.

The increase in bulk volume of commercial grades is 8 to 12 times, but individual flakes may exfoliate as many as 30 times. There is a color change during expansion that is dependent upon the composition of the vermiculite and furnace temperature.

The bulk density of crude vermiculite or vermiculite concentrate is in the range of 640-1120 kg/m³ (40-70 lb/ft³) and exfoliated or expanded vermiculite is in the range of 64-160 kg/m³ (4-10 lb/ft³).


"Essentially vermiculite is a member of the phyllosilicate group of minerals, resembling mica in appearance. It is found in various parts of the world, but currently the major mines are located in South Africa, China, Brazil, Zimbabwe, and the United States. The largest operating mines today are located in the Palabora region of North-Eastern Transvaal in South Africa, in the northwestern corners of China, and along the eastern Appalachian range in the United States (Virginia and South Carolina). The vermiculite ores from these mines are different forms of hydrated phlogopite or biotite mica which has the remarkable ability of being able to expand to many times its original volume when heated---a property known as exfoliation.

From a geological perspective, almost all of the commercial vermiculite mines operating today work in deposits which were formed in pre-Cambrian and Archean deposits (1.5-3.0 billion years old). These are quite different from the former Libby, Montana deposit which was Triassic in age (225 million years old). "

Answer 4

Vermicusaurs.