Page 905

  905Perlite 
By Arthur C. Meisinger1 
 Record totals were established in 1972 for production and consumption of
crude and expanded perlite in the United States and effectively reversed
the overall decline that had hit the domestic perlite industry in 1971. Compared
with 1971 production, the quantity of crude perlite mined increased 31% and
the quantity and value of crude perlite sold or used each increased 26%.
Although there were three fewer ex 
panding plants in operation during 1972, the quantities of expanded perlite
produced and sold or used exceeded those of 1971 by 10% and 9%, respectively.
The value of expanded perlite sold or used also reached a record total of
$25.35 million for an increase of 9% over that of 1971. New Mexico and Illinois
continued to be the leading States in production of crude and expanded perlite,
respectively. 
Table 1.—Crude and expanded perlite produced and sold or used 
by producers in the United States 
(Thousand short tons and thousand dollars) 
Crude 
perlite 
Exp 
anded perlite 
Used at own 
Total 
Year 
Quantity 
mined 
Sold 
— 
~— 
plant to make 
expanded material 
quantity 
sold and 
used 
Quantity 
produced 
Sold or used 
- 
Quantity 
Value 
Quantity Value 
Quantity Value 
1968         
1969         
1970         
1971         
1972         
558 
613 
607 
495 
649 
202 
205 
176 
175 
224 
1,975 
2,087 
2,056 
2,062 
2,540 
 226 2,246 266 3,013 280 2,848 257 2,879 321 3,691 
428 
471 
456 
432 
545 
339 
405 
420 
389 
427 
 336 15,265 402 22,100 416 24,972 385 23,156 421 25,350 
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION 
 Crude per-lite was produced by 12 coinpanies at 13 mines in seven States
in 1972 compared with 11 companies and 12 mines in six States in 1971. The
quantity of crude perlite mined was a record 649,000 tons surpassing by 11,000
tons the previous high of 638,000 tons mined in 1967. New Mexico, with 87%
of the U.S. crude perlite mined, continued to be the principal producing
State. Other producing States, in descending order, were Arizona, California,
Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, and Texas. 
 Crude p~rlite sold or used to make expanded materials set record totals
in quantity and value in 1972. Producers sold or used 545,000 tons of crude
perlite valued at $6,231,000 compared with the p-revious 
high of 471,000 tons and $5,100,000 in 1969. 
 Crude perlite was expanded at 84 plants in 30 States in 1972, and record
quantities were established for expanded perlite produced and sold or used.
The quantity of expanded perlite produced was 427,000 tons compared with
the previous high of 420,000 in 1970. The quantity of expanded perlite sold
or used in 1972 was 421,000 tons and exceeded the previous high of 416,000
in 1970 by 5,000 tons. The value of expanded perlite sold or used was $25.35
million compared with the previous record total of $24.97 million in 1970.
Illinois continued to be the leader in production 
 1 Industry economist, Division of Nonmetallic Minerals.