China's vermiculite industry has transitioned from extensive resource utilization to precise expansion and functional specialization, driven by the evolving demands for lightweight, insulation, and adsorption properties in downstream industries. In the 1980s and 1990s, relying on high-quality vermiculite resources in Yuli (Xinjiang), Lingshou (Hebei), Siziwang Banner (Inner Mongolia), and other regions, the industry focused on mining and simple calcination. Products were mostly ordinary expanded vermiculite (expansion ratio ≤ 8 times, particle size 2-5 mm), mainly used in basic fields such as building thermal insulation mortar, horticultural substrates, and general packaging fillers, characterized by uneven expansion, high impurity content, and poor functional stability.

Since the turn of the century, demands from building energy conservation (external wall insulation materials), agricultural improvement (soilless cultivation), and environmental treatment (water purification), along with policy regulations, have driven the industry's transformation toward purification pretreatment, gradient calcination, and modification for enhanced performance. Higher purity (vermiculite content ≥ 90%) is achieved through magnetic separation and impurity removal. Uniform expansion (expansion ratio ≥ 15 times) is obtained using precise temperature-controlled calcination technology. Products such as ultra-fine expanded vermiculite powder, modified adsorption-type vermiculite, and composite insulation vermiculite have been developed, enabling breakthroughs in applications like high-end building insulation, precision agriculture substrates, and industrial wastewater treatment.

In recent years, high-end demands from new energy (buffer layer for lithium battery anodes), aerospace (lightweight insulation materials), and high-end daily chemicals (adsorbent in facial masks) have emerged. Coupled with the evolution of relevant standards, the industry is accelerating its upgrade toward efficient resource utilization and high-end product customization. Today, China is a leading global producer and consumer of vermiculite, with products covering the full range: raw ore, expanded vermiculite, vermiculite powder, and vermiculite composite materials. These are widely used in dozens of fields, including building energy conservation, agriculture, environmental protection, new energy, and aerospace.

We have set up a dedicated vermiculite mineral testing team. Based on product type and application scenario (building insulation, agricultural substrate, lithium battery buffer, environmental adsorption), we provide customized testing services—including expansion ratio determination, thermal conductivity measurement, adsorption capacity analysis, impurity screening (heavy metals, iron), and particle size distribution testing—helping products build advantages in performance optimization and regulatory compliance.