INDUSTRIAL GARNET

Garnet’s angular fractures, high hardness, specific gravity, chemical inertness and nontoxicity make nongemstone-grade garnet ideal for many industrial applications. In addition to those properties, garnet is free of crystalline silica and can be recycled. Garnet is the general name given to a group of complex silicate minerals, all with an isometric crystal structure and similar physical properties and chemical compositions. Higher-quality garnet is used as a loose grain abrasive because of its hardness, while lower-quality garnet is used as a filtration medium as it is relatively inert and resists chemical degradation. Garnet is also being used as a proppant in oil and natural gas well drilling. It may be mixed with other proppants when high temperatures are encountered or in very deep formations. Production In 2022, industrial garnet was mined by four firms — one in Idaho, one in Montana and two in New York. In 2022, U.S. production of crude garnet concentrate for industrial use (industrial garnet) was estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to be 76 kt valued at about $17 million, a 7 percent decrease in quantity compared with 2021 crude production. This decrease was due to the closing of the Emerald Creek Garnet Mine in Idaho in July 2022. The other U.S. garnet mines produced 3 percent less than in 2021. The majority of industrial garnet mined in the United States was almandite (iron aluminum silicate). Some andradite (calcium iron silicate) also was mined domestically for industrial uses. Refined garnet material sold or used was estimated to be 120 kt valued at $52 million, a 6 percent decrease in quantity compared with 2021 refined production. Total world industrial garnet production was estimated to be about 980 kt, 6 percent more than that in 2021. Australia (370 kt), China (310 kt) and South Africa (150 kt) were the leading producers in 2022. The United States produced about 8 percent of the industrial garnet mined worldwide. Consumption In 2022, apparent consumption of industrial garnet in the United States was estimated to be 240 kt, accounting for 24 percent of global garnet production. U.S. apparent consumption increased by 17 percent compared with that in 2021. Major end uses for industrial garnet in the United States, in descending order by estimated market share, include abrasive blasting, water-filtration media, water-jet-assisted cutting and other end uses, such as in abrasive powders, nonslip coatings and sandpaper. Domestically, the industrial sectors that consume industrial garnet include aircraft and motor vehicle manufacturers, ceramics and glass producers, electronic component manufacturers, water filtration plants, the petroleum industry, shipbuilders and woodfurniture- finishing operations. Prices The price of industrial garnet depends on application, quality, quantity purchased, source and type and therefore, prices encompass a wide range. During 2022, estimated domestic values of industrial garnet crude concentrate averaged about $200/t. The average unit values of refined garnet sold in the United States during the year averaged $595/t. The average customs unit value of U.S. garnet imports in 2022 was $194/t, a decrease of 31 percent compared with the average unit value in 2021. Foreign trade The industrial garnet market is very competitive. Lower-priced foreign imports slowly began displacing U.S. production in domestic markets during the 1990s. Since then, despite increasing domestic production in recent years, the United States has become increasingly dependent upon foreign sources of industrial garnet. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau that was adjusted by the USGS, U.S. imports in 2022 were estimated to be 268 kt, an increase of 85 percent from those in 2021. The increase was partially caused by the U.S. production shortfall owing to the closing of the Emerald Creek Garnet Mine in Idaho during 2022. Most of the increase was attributed to an increase in imports of garnet from South Africa. In 2022, South Africa (65 percent), Australia (19 percent), India (8 percent) and China (7 percent), were the leading suppliers of imports to the United States. U.S. exports were estimated to be 23 kt, an increase of 14 percent compared with those in 2021. U.S. exports of industrial garnet were shipped to Canada (56 percent), Mexico (17 percent) and Peru (8 percent), with the remainder going to several other countries and localities. Outlook The domestic industrial garnet industry is expected to stabilize after the volatility of the past few years. However, higher production costs and tighter profit margins will continue to affect the industry. To increase profitability and remain competitive with imported material, production may be restricted to only high-grade industrial garnet ores or those deposits that contain other salable mineral products, such as kyanite, marble, mica minerals, sillimanite, staurolite, wollastonite or metallic ores. Industrial garnet production in India, which is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to slowly return to prepandemic levels. Worldwide, industrial garnet production is expected to slowly increase, with the highest growth in consumption in water-jet-assisted cutting and abrasive blasting.

INDUSTRIAL GARNET

Authored by:
Donald W. Olson

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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