INDUSTRIAL GARNET

Garnet’s angular fractures, high hardness, specific gravity, chemical inertness and nontoxicity make industrial-grade garnet ideal for many applications. In addition, garnet is free of crystalline silica and can be recycled. Garnet is an umbrella 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 because 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 2023, industrial garnet was mined by three firms: one in Montana and two in New York. In 2023, U.S. production of crude garnet concentrate for industrial use (industrial garnet) was estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to be 68 kt valued at about $15 million, an 11 percent decrease in quantity and a 4 percent decrease in value compared with 2022. The decreases were due to the closing of the Emerald Creek Garnet Mine in Fernwood, ID in July 2022. 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, essentially unchanged compared with 2022. Total world industrial garnet production was estimated to be 970 kt, unchanged from 2022. Australia (390 kt), China (310 kt) and South Africa (180 kt) were the leading producers in 2023. The United States produced about 7 percent of the industrial garnet mined worldwide. Consumption In 2023, apparent consumption of industrial garnet in the United States was estimated to be 210 kt, accounting for 22 percent of global garnet production. U.S. apparent consumption decreased by 35 percent compared with 2022. 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, the petroleum industry, shipbuilders, textile stone washing, water-filtration plants and wood-furniture finishing operations. Prices Prices for industrial garnet cover a wide range depending upon application, quality, quantity purchased, source and type. During 2023, estimated domestic values of industrial garnet crude concentrate averaged about $220/t. The unit values of refined garnet sold in the United States during the year averaged $430/t. The average customs unit value of U.S. garnet imports in 2023 was $211/t, an increase of 9 percent compared with 2022. Foreign trade The industrial garnet market is competitive. Lower-priced foreign imports 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 were adjusted by the USGS, U.S. imports in 2023 were estimated to be 150 kt, a decrease of 43 percent from 2022. Most of the decrease was attributed to large decreases in imports of garnet from South Africa and Australia. In 2023, South Africa (58 percent), Australia (23 percent), India (8 percent) and China (6 percent) were the leading suppliers of imports to the United States. U.S. exports were 20 kt, a decrease of 14 percent compared with 2022. U.S. exports of industrial garnet were shipped to Canada (57 percent), Mexico (19 percent) and Peru (3 percent), with the remainder going to several other countries and localities. Outlook Industrial garnet will continue growing as an abrasive blasting medium, replacing silica sand for use in blast cleaning and surface finishing by the aircraft and the shipbuilding industries and by the oil and natural-gas industry. Garnet use will also continue growing as a water-filtration medium with the growing number of water-treatment plants worldwide. 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. Worldwide industrial garnet production is expected to gradually increase, with the highest growth in consumption in abrasive blasting and water-jet-assisted cutting. References U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024—Garnet (Industrial): U.S. Geological Survey, p. 76–77, https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2024/mcs2024-garnet.pdf U.S. Census Bureau and Trade Mining LLC, data adjusted by the U.S. Geological Survey

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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