Industrial minerals, mine-direct from China
Silica, talc, kaolin, barite, fluorspar, graphite, mica, wollastonite and feldspar — sourced direct from Chinese mines and processors with chemistry, PSD and moisture data per lot.
Request a QuoteIndustrial minerals are commodities — until they are not
Industrial minerals is the procurement category for naturally-occurring inorganic solids used as functional fillers, fluxes, abrasives or feedstocks in industrial processes. The "big eight" — silica, kaolin, talc, barite, fluorspar, graphite, mica, feldspar — are commodities, but each one is graded on chemistry, brightness, particle size, oil absorption or hardness. The differences between grades are not visible to the eye and they matter enormously to the downstream user.
The buyers in this category are paint, polymer, ceramic, glass, foundry and mineral-processing operations who need a consistent feed and a clean per-shipment data sheet. They are usually well-equipped to specify what they want — and frustrated by suppliers who substitute grades silently or whose moisture content drifts.
Sourcing Captain places mineral orders against an explicit grade and chemistry, takes a sample at loading, and ships the per-lot lab data with the bill of lading. We work with mines and processors who hold export track records into European and North American specialty markets — not with traders aggregating from anonymous heaps.
Mineral sourcing — six steps
Spec sheet
Mineral, grade, chemistry, PSD, moisture and any application-specific test (brightness, oil absorption, hardness) locked in writing.
Mine selection
Mine and processor pre-qualified for the grade, with a documented export history.
Sample lot
A small sample for chemistry and PSD verification at our China QC office or an independent lab.
Bulk PO
Locked-price PO with per-lot lab data and a moisture clause.
Loading sample
Sample drawn at container loading and sealed for retain.
Shipping
Bulk or bagged shipment with full export documentation and tracking.
Per-lot mineral data
Chemistry
Major and minor element analysis on the actual lot, with the test method referenced.
Particle size
PSD curve from a calibrated method (laser diffraction or sieve analysis).
Moisture
Moisture content at loading, with method and sample reference.
Brightness / colour
Where applicable, brightness, whiteness and yellowness data per lot.
Loading sample
Sealed sample drawn at container loading, retained for 12 months.
Sourcing dossier
Mine audit, supplier and per-lot data bundled into a single PDF.
A category where moisture and PSD quietly destroy yields
The most common quality complaints in industrial minerals are not exotic chemistry issues — they are moisture above the spec ceiling, particle size distribution outside the agreed bracket, or a brightness reading that drops by a few percent. None of these will be visible from a photo. All of them will quietly halve a process yield or push downstream product off-spec.
A sourcing partner who specifies the spec sheet, draws a sample at loading, and ships per-lot lab data turns those quiet failures into a contract issue that gets settled before the lot enters production. For global mineral buyers running consistent processes, that is the value of working with us instead of with an anonymous trader.
Industrial minerals FAQs
Which minerals do you cover?
Silica (quartz, cristobalite, fused), kaolin (calcined and uncalcined), talc, barite, fluorspar (acid grade and met grade), graphite (flake and amorphous), mica (muscovite and phlogopite), wollastonite, feldspar (potash and soda), bentonite, attapulgite, perlite and vermiculite. We will scope rare-earth minerals on a case-by-case basis.
Can you ship in bulk or bagged?
Both. Bulk in containers or break-bulk vessels for high-volume buyers, and bagged (25-kg, 1-tonne FIBC) for handling and inventory flexibility. The packaging plan is part of the PO.
How is moisture controlled?
For moisture-sensitive grades we ship in lined containers with moisture barrier and we draw a sample at loading. Moisture is part of the contract spec and out-of-spec lots are subject to reweighing or rejection.
Do you handle calcined and processed grades?
Yes — calcined kaolin, fused silica, ground mica, micronised talc and other processed grades are part of our supplier base. The processing route is part of the spec.
What are typical lead times?
Stocked grades: 2–4 weeks. Build-to-order processed grades: 4–8 weeks. We confirm a binding lead time at PO.
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Tell us what you need to source
Send specs, target volumes, and timelines. Our sourcing team replies within one business day with a sourcing plan and price guidance.