Page 177

  177The Mineral industry of 
Illinois 
This chapter has been prepared under a Memorandum of Understanding between
the 
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Illinois State
Geological 
Survey for collecting information on all nonfuel minerals. 
By James J. Hi11~ and L. J. Prosser, Jr.2 
The value of Illinois' nonfuel mineral production was $440 million in 1978
and $477 million in 1979. During these years, portland cement, sand and gravel,
and stone accounted for most of the State's total nonfuel mineral production
value. Other commodities produced were clays, fluorspar, lime, masonry cement,
and tripoli. 
Barite, lead, silver, and zinc were recovered as coproducts from fluorspar
processing operations. Major commodities imported for processing included
gypsum, crude iron oxide pigments, perlite, and vermiculite. In 1979, silicon
carbide, an artificial abrasive, was produced in Illinois for the first time.
Table 1.—Nonfuel mineral production in Illinois' 
1977 
1978 
'  
1979 
Mineral 
Quantity 
Value (thousands) 
Quantity 
Value (thousands) 
Quantity 
Value 
(thou 
sands) 
Cement, portland thousand short ton& — 
Clays2 do____Fluorspar short tons..~. 
Gemstones                      
1,823 
951 
131,218 
NA 
$61,849 
5,117 
13,941 
2 
2,112 
742 
115,859 
NA 
$80,242 
3,185 
12,452 
15 
1,889 
542 W 
NA 
$79,604 
2,355 
W 
15 
Peat thousand short ton&. -Sand and gravel do_ — - -Stone:
82 
37,633 
1,478 
101,230 
84 
43,450 
1,594 
127,900 
86 
45,448 
1,610 
134,190 
Crushed do~Dimension do.~.. 
57,074 
3 
135,964 
109 
62,453 
3 
160,352 
122 
63,551 
3 
188,130 
128 
Combined value of barite, cement (masonry), clays (fuller's earth), lead,
lime, silver, tripoli, zinc, and values indicated bysymboiW             
Total                       
XX 
48,641 
XX 
53,692 
XX 
70,498 
XX 
368,331 
XX 
439,554 
XX 
476,530 
 NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data;
value included in "Combined value" figure. XX Not applicable. 
 ' Production as measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production
(including consumption by producers). 
 2Excludes fuller's earth; value included in "Combined value" figure.