Specialty Minerals—Performance Minerals Locations
Performance Minerals is the group within Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI) that provides high performance minerals to many non-paper industrial markets, such as plastics, paints, sealants, building products, and healthcare.
Performance Minerals is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as are the SMI research and technical service laboratories. A wide variety of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), ground calcium carbonate (GCC), limestone, dolomite, quicklime and talc are manufactured in plants in the U.S. and the U.K. Use the links below to learn more about our products and facilities, or to contact us.
Adams, Massachusetts—Specialty Minerals Ground and Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Plant
Specialty Minerals' production facility in Adams, Massachusetts, has been manufacturing fine industrial mineral products since 1961, and nano precipitated calcium carbonates for more than 25 years. But Adams has been in operation much longer, since 1848, producing limestone for local iron foundries, whitewash manufacturers and agricultural uses. The town of Adams is located in the northwest corner of Massachusetts in the Berkshire Mountains. Before Minerals Technologies Inc. became a publicly traded company in 1992, this plant was part of the minerals operations of Pfizer Inc. It is now part of the Performance Minerals group of Specialty Minerals Inc.
High-brightness and high-calcium limestone ore from the adjacent Specialty Minerals quarry is processed into precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), quicklime, and ground calcium carbonate (GCC) products. These products are packaged for shipment throughout North America and for export. Adams can ship products in bulk truck and bulk rail, 50-pound bags, and semi-bulk bags. Precipitated calcium carbonate can be shipped as a high solids slurry or a dry powder.
Ore from the Specialty Minerals’ quarry at Adams is selected on the basis of purity and consistency to optimize end use product performance. The precipitated calcium carbonates, ground calcium carbonates and quicklimes made from these ores are functional additives and fillers for use in a number of industrial markets: plastics, caulk and sealants, paint and coatings, food and pharmaceuticals, building products, ink, paper, gel coats, animal feed, and agriculture.
Adams Precipitated Calcium Carbonates
A wide variety of precipitated calcium carbonate is manufactured at Adams; many sizes—from 0.07 micron nano PCC up to 12 microns—and many shapes. They come in both in pharmaceutical and technical grades.
The ViCALity® USP PCCs and CalEssence® USP PCCs are excellent for calcium fortification of food and for pharmaceuticals. The uncoated Albaglos® PCC, Albacar® PCC and Albafil® PCC products, and the coated PCC products, Ultra-Pflex® nano PCC, Super-Pflex® PCC, and the family of Thixo-Carb® nano PCCs provide functionality in plastics applications, sealants, rubber, ink, and paper.
Adams Ground Calcium Carbonates and Limes
The GCC side of the Adams plant produces ground limestones ranging in size from one-quarter inch landscaping chips down to 3 micron industrial grades.
To complement the USP PCCs, high purity food grade Vicron® GCCs are manufactured for food and chewing gum applications. Adams also manufactures fine ground GCC for paint, plastics and other industrial applications. Products include technical grades of Vicron® GCC and Marblewhite® GCC. Coarser ground limestone, Vical®, AFG™ and ATF™ GCC provide excellent value in roofing, masonry, joint compounds and other building products, as well as for agricultural and environmental uses. High calcium chemical and metallurgical limes are also produced at Adams.
Adams Quality
The Adams plant is registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Drug Manufacturing Facility. Subsequently, the Adams plant follows GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), and its food and pharmaceutical products are Kosher certified. Since the Adams plant is an ISO 9001 certified facility, the quality demands of all markets are met with comprehensive quality monitoring and continuous improvement programs.
Barretts, Montana —Specialty Minerals Talc Plant
Specialty Minerals' production facility in Barretts, Montana, has been producing finely ground talc industrial mineral products since 1964, and coarser ground talcs for paint and paper since the early 1950’s. This plant is located in the southwest corner of Montana. Talc ore from two nearby Specialty Minerals mines is processed into coarse, medium and ultrafine products. These products are packaged for shipment throughout North America and for export. Barretts talcs can be shipped in bulk truck and bulk rail, 50-pound bags, and semi-bulk bags. Before the formation of its parent, Minerals Technologies Inc., the Barretts mines and plant were part of Pfizer Inc. They are now in the Performance Minerals group of Specialty Minerals Inc.
Ore from the mines is selected on the basis of purity, consistency, and unique mineral properties to ensure highest performance in the intended end use. The ground Barretts talc products are functional additives and fillers for use in a number of industrial and healthcare markets: plastics, coatings, ceramics, polyester body putty, gel coats, chewing gum, pharmaceuticals, rubber, and paper.
Barretts Talcs
In rigid plastics applications, UltraTalc® and MicroTuff® talc products are ideally suited for stiffening polypropylene and thermoplastic olefins (TPO) and for polyolefin nucleation. For polyethylene blown and cast films, ABT® 2500, Polybloc®, and Optibloc® talcs are highly efficient antiblocks.
In paints, Talcron® talc provides flattening and barrier properties. Cercron® talc is suited for ceramic applications, while Sericron® talc stiffens and improves the overall handling of rubber compounds. MicroTalc® talc is ideal for caulks, joint compound and other construction products. The talc improves trowel ability and provides barrier properties. USP talcs are used in chewing gum and other consumer products. These talc products are certified as Kosher.
Barretts Quality
Since the Barretts plant is an ISO 9001 certified facility, the quality demands of these markets are met with comprehensive quality monitoring and continuous improvement programs.
Canaan, Connecticut—Specialty Minerals Dolomite Plant
Specialty Minerals' facility in Canaan, Connecticut, located in the northwest corner of that state, has been producing finely ground industrial mineral products since 1960. The Canaan plant has been in operation since 1850, producing ground dolomitic limestones for the whitewash used on the New England houses and churches, for local iron foundries and for agriculture. Dolomite ore from a nearby quarry is processed into ground and screened dolomite products. These products are packaged for shipment throughout North America. Products are shipped in bulk truck and bulk rail, 50-pound bags, and semi-bulk bags. With the formation of Minerals Technologies in 1992, the Canaan plant became part of the Performance Minerals group of Specialty Minerals Inc. (SMI).
The Specialty Minerals dolomite deposit at Canaan is a true dolomite—calcium magnesium carbonate, not just a magnesium-containing dolomitic limestone. The ground and screened dolomite products are now used for filling and extending cast polymers (cultured marble), asphalt roofing shingles, vinyl tile flooring, joint compound, masonry products, pool plastering, caulks and sealants.
Canaan Dolomite Products
Coarse ground grades—CCA, FCA, and MS-4—provide a source of extremely white aggregate for manufacturing white concrete block, white split face block and pre-cast shapes. Bright white Marblemix® dolomite pool sands are ideally suited for plastering swimming pools. For joint compound, sealants, putties, caulks, and other building products the Dolocron® dolomite fillers provide high brightness and low oil absorption. The DF series of dolomites offer a wide variety of performance options for vinyl floor tile, stucco and grout manufacturers.
Canaan Quality
As with the other SMI Performance Minerals facilities, the Canaan plant is ISO 9001 certified, with stringent quality control and continuous improvement programs to ensure the needs of its customers are fully met.
Lucerne Valley, California – Specialty Minerals Ground Calcium Carbonate Plant
Specialty Minerals' mine and plant in Lucerne Valley, California, located in the high desert in the southeastern part of the state, has been producing finely ground industrial ground calcium carbonates (GCCs) since 1961. Mining and processing has gone on much longer, since 1848, manufacturing coarser ground limestones for whitewash, agriculture and other lower performance applications. Limestone ore from the adjacent Specialty Minerals quarry is processed into screened and ground calcium carbonates. They are packaged for shipment throughout North America, in bulk truck and bulk rail, 50-pound bags, and semi-bulk bags.
High brightness and purity limestone ores are selected to match the needs of its many users. The ground calcium carbonate is a functional additive and filler for use in a number of industrial markets: building products, plastics, coatings, rubber, caulk and sealants, glass, and gel coats.
Lucerne Valley Ground Calcium Carbonates
Lucerne Valley’s fine ground, bright white Vicron® GCC family of 2 to 13 micron products and Marblewhite® GCC family of 16 to 325 mesh products provide options for formulators in the plastics, paint and coatings, rubber, caulk and sealants industries. Coated fine grind products, Hi-Pflex® and Super-Fil® GCC are ideal for plastics formulations that require high dispersion and low oil absorption. Coarser Vical® GCC products are excellent raw materials for glass, floor tile and roofing manufacturing, while the Marblemix® GCCs are manufactured specifically for pool plastering. Bunker-White® limestone, a unique material, is used to replace sand in bunkers on the golf courses.
Lucerne Valley Quality
All Specialty Minerals—Performance Minerals plants are certified ISO 9001, and use rigorous quality monitoring and continuous improvements to provide customers with uniform, high quality products.