Vermiculite is a natural mineral, a mica-like aluminium silicate that expands about 10 times in volume when it is heated between 900 and 1200 °C. This process of heating, during which the granules are ‘blown up’, is called exfoliation.

ore vermiculite		exfoliated vermiculite

The ore is mined at several places in the world in open mines: USA, Australia, China, Russia, Zimbabwe, South-Africa, ...

The properties of exfoliated vermiculite are incombustibility plus a high absorption and insulation capacity.
Precisely because of these properties it is an important additive to the insulating mortars.
Apart from this exfoliated vermiculite is also used as a soil improver, absorbent, additive to cattle fodder, ...