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.
SPECIALTY PRECIPITATED CALCIUM CARBONATE (SPCC)
Lifford, Birmingham, United Kingdom: Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Plant
Specialty Minerals' Lifford production facility in located near Birmingham, United Kingdom produces high quality precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) products. These products are packaged for shipment throughout Europe and beyond. Lifford can ship products in bulk truck, 25-kilogram bags, and rougly one metric ton semi-bulk bags.
Lifford Precipitated Calcium Carbonates
A wide variety of precipitated calcium carbonate products are manufactured at Lifford, with both pharmaceutical and technical grades available.
The Sturcal® and Calopake® PCCs are the primary products for calcium fortification of food and for pharmaceuticals and other Consumer applications. The ultrafine coated PCC products in the Calofort® family provide important benefits to formulators of automotive and construction sealants, plastics, rubber, and inks.
GCC - QUICKLIME
Adams, Massachusetts: Ground Calcium Carbonate, Precipitated Calcium Carbonate, and Quicklime Plant
Specialty Minerals' production facility in Adams, Massachusettsextracts high-brightness and high-calcium limestone ore from the adjacent Specialty Minerals quarry and processes it 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 dry powder, or as a high solids slurry for water based applications.
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 utilized primarily in calcium fortification of food and for pharmaceutical formulations. The uncoated Albaglos® PCC, Albacar® PCC and Albafil® PCC products are useful in a wide range of applications, including paper, paints, and some plastics. The coated ultrafine PCC products in the Ultra-Pflex® and ThixoCarb® family provide functionality in automotive and construction sealants, plastics rubber and, inks.
Adams Ground Calcium Carbonates and Quicklime
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 used primarily in plastics, paints and other construcitno applications. Coarser ground limestone in the Vical®, AFG™ and ATF™ GCC family provide excellent value in roofing, masonry, joint compounds and other building products, as well as for agricultural and environmental uses. High calcium quicklime is also produced at Adams.
DOLOMITE
Canaan, Connecticut—Ground Dolomite Plant
Specialty Minerals' facility in Canaan, Connecticut produces dolomite ore at a nearby quarry and processes it 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.
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 used in a range of Construction products; including 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 finer Dolocron® dolomite fillers provide high brightness and low oil absorption. The DF series of screened dolomites offer a wide variety of performance options for vinyl floor tile, stucco and grout manufacturers.
GROUND CALCIUM CARBONATE (GCC)
Lucerne Valley, California –Ground Calcium Carbonate Plant
Specialty Minerals' mine and plant in Lucerne Valley, California produces finely ground industrial ground calcium carbonates (GCCs). from limestone ore extracted from the adjacent Specialty Minerals quarry. Screened and ground calcium carbonates 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, and agricultural applications 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.
TALC
Barretts, Montana: Talc Plant
Specialty Minerals' production facility in Barretts, Montana produces coarse, medium and fine Talc products from locally mined Talc ore. These products are packaged for shipment throughout North America and for export in bulk rail, 50-pound bags, and semi-bulk bags.
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 to improve trowel ability and provides barrier properties. USP talcs are used in a variety of consumer products. These talc products are certified as Kosher.
QUALITY
Quality