Imerys North America Ceramics supplies the following minerals. Click on the links to download product information.

Ball Clay | Kaolin | Feldspar | Mica

The increase in our international sales efforts beginning in 1994 has enabled us to double our export volume. With this increase in sales we have explored many options to help broaden our logistic capabilities. Most of our bulk shipments, which are targeted for our export customers, move through the port of Savannah, GA. Due to the importance of this key port we decided several years ago to lease port facilities to ensure our flexibility in handling international shipments.

Our volume of sales dictated the need for storage capacity at the port for a minimum of 7500 metric tons at any given time. We also have the possibility of using an additional area for 2500 metric tons if needed. There is sufficient space available to store up to 2000 tons of material in Super Sacs and ship them through the Savannah facilities. The flexibility that this warehouse has afforded us has helped us to ensure on time shipments to our growing list of international customers. We have made many combination shipments of bulk materials in which we have sent three to four individual grades of Kaolin and/or Ball Clay . Additionally we have placed Super Sacs on top of bulk shipments in order to help our customers obtain the best freight rates available on airfloated material.

Shipping through the Savannah facility has been a great benefit that we have provided to our export customers. The optimum shipping volume is a minimum of 3000 metric tons per vessel. Freight rates begin to drop as this volume increases to 6-10,000 mt. This port facility has given us an alternative to shipping in containers which reduces the freight rates substantially. We believe that we have an advantage over our competitors with these facilities, coupled with the experience our people have gained in growing our international sales in recent years.

At Imerys Ceramics we realize the extreme importance of our customers. For this reason our emphasis on customer service is paramount in every facet of our company from the initial mining stage to final shipment of the product. We have our individual customer service groups that focus on each product line for national and international accounts. These people are dedicated to serving the needs of our customers and spend every hour of every day doing exactly that.

National Accounts - Ball Clay
PO Box 232
5450 Old State Hwy #22
Gleason, TN 38229
Tel: 1-800-814-4538
Tel: 731-648-2519
Fax: 731-648-2506
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Sandersville Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
3597 Deepstep Rd
Sandersville, GA 31082
Tel: 800-458-2529
Tel: 478-552-6994
Fax:  478-552-4027
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Langley Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
385 Huber Clay Rd, PO 1370
Langley, SC 29834
Tel: 800-472-2529
Tel: 803-593-2511
Fax: 803-593-4144
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

National Accounts - Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
797 Altapass ROad
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Tel: 800-765-8997
Tel: 828-765-5500
Fax: 828-765-8988
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Ball Clay
Imerys - North America Ceramics
PO Box 232
5450 Old State Hwy #22
Gleason, TN 38229
Tel: 1-800-814-4538
Tel: 731-648-2519
Fax: 731-648-2506
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Sandersville Kaolin and Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
3597 Deepstep Road
Sandersville, GA 31082
Tel: 478-552-6994 ext 2210
Fax:  478-552-4027
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Langley Kaolin
Imerys - North America Ceramics
385 Huber Clay Rd, PO 1370
Langley, SC 29834
Tel: 800-472-2529
Tel: 803-593-2511
Fax: 803-593-4144
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

International Accounts - Feldspar
Imerys - North America Ceramics
797 Altapass ROad
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
Tel: 800-765-8997
Tel: 828-765-5500
Fax: 828-765-8988
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

K-T Clay de Mexico
Imerys - North America Ceramics
Autopista Monterrey Cadereyta KM20
Benito Juarez
Nuevo Leon,MX 67250
Tel: 011 52 818 233 0557
Fax: 011 52 818 233 0093
E-Mail: infoceramics@imerys.com

A World Leader in adding value to minerals

Imerys North America Ceramics is a major supplier of high quality mineral additives and extenders to the dinnerware, sanitaryware, ceramic tile, fiberglass and electrical porcelain industries throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of products include ultrafine kaolins, ball clays and feldspars.

Imerys Ceramics are actively working in partnership with its customers to develop new and innovative solutions to solve your technical challenges. We bring a unique knowledge of mineral technology, combined with unrivalled depth of application expertise to improve the formulation of our customers' products.

Imerys North America Ceramics corporate roots run deep in the rich mining territories of Georgia, Western Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Back in 1890, the small Mandle Clay Company, which a quarter century later became Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Company (K-T Clay), unearthed the original Old Mine #4 Ball Clay, a raw material which has become a standard by which ball clays are measured to this day.

In 1994, K-T Clay dedicated its state-of-the-art slurry plant in Monterrey, México to the production of prepared bodies. The addition of ceramic kaolin for functional and non-functional filler applications as well as the South Carolina kaolins, which came with the acquisition of the Langley Plant in 1995, substantially diversified our product line. In 2001 K-T Clay became part of the Imerys group and finally in 2007, the Feldspar Corporation joined what has now become known as Imerys North America Ceramics, bringing with it highly unique feldspar and kaolins. With these acquisitions and expansions, Imerys became the first raw material supplier in North America to have a complete product line for ceramics.

Our broad product line has enabled us to serve a wide variety of markets, including sanitaryware, filler, fiberglass, hobby, ceramic tile, refractories, dinnerware, electrical porcelain, and various others.

Further information

Imerys Ceramics production sites

The ceramic tile industry has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years. We have seen the consolidation and in some cases growth of U.S. plants. Imports continue to be a key source of tiles for the United States. The world wide production has increased dramatically and spread over many more countries. At Imerys North America Ceramics, we have been following these trends and have focused our efforts on reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated U.S. customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Along with meeting our customers needs at home, we have also entered into the international markets with new and competitive products. As we see the production of ceramic tile moving to destinations outside the U.S., we are also meeting the needs of our new international customers with specialized products designed to compete against other imported raw materials.

Ceramic tile is one of the most diverse products in the World. The tight tolerances required for this product demands the use of high quality and extremely consistent raw materials. The ball clays and kaolins generally must be white firing and add strength and plasticity to the finished product. The Feldspar adds the fluxing power required to form the final fired piece.  At Imerys we supply all three of these key components to the tile industry. The ball clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee , & Mississippi . Our kaolins used for the tile industry are produced in Sandersville, GA and the feldspar comes from Spruce Pine, NC and Monticello, GA.

Further information

Tile brochure

Producers of dinnerware have utilized ball clay, kaolin and feldspar in their manufacturing processes  for decades. Product attributes required to produce high quality stoneware cups, saucers, plates, and accessory pieces vary in the marketplace, but several common themes can be observed. Both Ball Clay and Kaolin, must have a consistent, low iron and titania content in order to meet the fired color requirements of today's marketplace. Clay components must also impart significant plasticity and green strength to the dinnerware body during processing. Feldspathic body constituents must be mineralogically consistent, contain extremely low iron and titania, and have a controlled particle size distribution.

Imerys is an industry leader in supplying industrial minerals to the dinnerware market. Our product line has been lengthened recently with the addition of our Diamond and Sapphire clays, which were designed specifically for this industry.

Product Range Pamphlet

3380

A fine-grained Ball Clay from Crenshaw, MS - with excellent plasticity and strength, which has a much better fired color than the other Mississippi deposit clays. 3380 is used in the floor tile, wall tile and ceiling tile industries.

BELL DARK

A fine-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - giving good fired color, strength and plasticity. Bell Dark can be used in casting and plastic formed bodies. Primary applications are dinnerware and artware.

CTS

A fine-grained Ball Clay mined and processed from our Mississippi deposits.  CTS is an excellent clay for ceiling tile applications.

HTP

A fine-grained, high alumina Ball Clay with excellent strength and plasticity.  HTP is low in total organic content, making it ideal for plastic forming applications such as dinnerware, electrical porcelain and artware.

J-2

A fine-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - providing good plasticity and strength. J-2 is particularly noted for its exceptional white-firing characteristics. Industry applications include wall and floor tile, dinnerware and artware.

JACKSON

A fine-grained, high alumina ball clay, from Gleason, TN - known for its excellent fired color, strength and plasticity. Jackson is very popular in both casting and plastic formed bodies. Ceramic applications include dinnerware, sanitaryware, artware, electrical porcelain and refractories.

JASS

A very fine-grained high potency strength and plasticity clay from Crenshaw, MS - designed to complement your ceramic requirements. JASS will develop its fired bonding strength at lower temperatures than M&D.

KT#1-4

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball day from Gleason, TN - used in all types of casting applications.

KTS-2

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - with very good plasticity and strength. For use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

KT-556

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - with good pressing and firing characteristics. The physical properties of KT-556 make this clay an ideal choice for fast¬firing wall and floor tile applications.

KTS-CLASSIC

A combination of Kentucky and Tennessee ball clays with very good overall plasticity and strength. For use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

KENTUCKY STONE

A coarse -grained, siliceous ball clay from Mayfield, KY - known for its high strength and plasticity. Applications include artware and ceramic tiles.

L-1

A coarse to intermediate-grained, high organic ball clay from Gleason, TN - The high organic content provides additional plasticity, making L-1 ideal for casting or plastic formed bodies. Industry applications include sanitaryware, dinnerware and artware.

MARTIN #5

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - used exclusively in casting bodies. Applications include sanitaryware and artware industries.

MARTIN #5/L-1

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - with good strength and plasticity. Martin #5/L-1 is ideal for all casting applications and is also supplied in a clay water slurry form for use by the sanitaryware and artware industries.

M&D

A very fine-grained, montmorillonitic bearing ball clay from Crenshaw, MS - giving exceptional strength and plasticity. M&D is considered the strongest ball clay on the market today. In ceramic applications, it is used in plastic formed bodies by the refractories and electrical porcelain industries. M&D is also broadly used in emulsion applications.

OLD MINE #4

A fine-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - with excellent plasticity and strength. Old Mine #4 is an "industry standard" based on its popularity in both casting and plastic formed bodies. It is also widely used as a suspension aid in glazes.

OLD MINE #4/SB

This blend from Mayfield, KY is produced using our most popular and versatile ball clay, OM#4. The SB is added to obtain a faster casting product while maintaining excellent plasticity and good green strength characteristics. It is generally designed for use in sanitaryware applications.

TENNESSEE #1 SGP

A coarse-grained, fast casting ball clay from Gleason, TN - used in all types of casting applications.

TENNESSEE #5

An intermediate-grained, high organic ball clay, from Gleason, TN - with good strength and plasticity. Tennessee #5 is particularly known for its fast casting properties, making it ideal for sanitaryware, dinnerware, artware and refractory casting applications, as well as plastic formed bodies.

TENNESSEE #6

An intermediate-grained ball clay from Gleason, TN - with good plasticity and strength. Tennessee #6 is primarily used in refractory applications. It is also very popular in wet sodium silicate mortars based on its excellent shelf life and trowelability.

TENNESSEE #10

A low organic, low residue Ball Clay with unparalleled white-firing characteristics due to its high kaolintic content.  This medium-grained, uniquely clean Ball Clay is especially suited for refractory and fast-firing applications.

TODD LIGHT

A fine-grained ball clay from Mayfield, KY - giving excellent strength and plasticity. Todd Light is very popular in both casting and plastic formed bodies. Applications include sanitaryware, electrical porcelain and dinnerware.

The quality ball clays for electrical porcelain from Imerys North America Ceramics are mined in Mayfield, Kentucky; Gleason, Tennessee; and Crenshaw, Mississippi. Imerys is the only producer that mines clay from all these areas. The quality efforts of the company and performance range of the clays are exactly what is needed to meet the demands of  modern electrical porcelain manufacturers. Our extremely fine-grained ball clays from Mississippi, especially M&D, are used extensively in plastic forming processes such as electrical porcelain. The strength and plasticity gained from these clays is unsurpassed.

In North America, Imerys moved into the kaolin business in 1989 with the purchase of kaolin facilities at Sandersville, Georgia. The range of clays available from this deposit area gives Imerys the full range of kaolin products required to obtain the highest performance in the plant. Our fine grained kaolin, Rogers, is very effective when used to increase strength and plasticity. When you require quality kaolin products for electrical porcelain, you'll want Imerys kaolins.

Imerys' extensive technical experience in electrical porcelain will provide you with the expertise needed to optimize your production process. The Imerys technical team are willing to provide problem solving assistance in your plant at a moment's notice. We're available to help you with reformulation or any other technical needs you may require. Why not contact us today to see what we can do for your operation?

Whether it's raw materials or technical advice regarding particular manufacturing difficulties, Imerys has an answer for you.

Further information

Electrical Porcelain brochure

The fiberglass industry has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years. The world wide production has increased dramatically and spread over many more countries. At Imerys North America Ceramics we have been following these trends and have focused our efforts on reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated U.S. customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Along with meeting our customers needs at home, we have also entered into the international markets with new and competitive products. As we see the production of fiberglass moving to destinations outside the U.S., we are also meeting the needs of our new international customers with specialized products designed to compete against other imported raw materials.

At Imerys we supply all of the key components to the fiberglass industry. The ball Clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee , & Mississippi . Our kaolins are produced in Sandersville, GA and Langley, SC.

Product Range Pamphlet

ALLEN G

An intermediate-grained kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used as a suspension aid in ceramic glazes.

DIAMOND

An intermediate-grained, montmorillonitic kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in plastic formed bodies and glaze applications. This Kaolin is known for its good strength and white firing characteristics,

EPK

Kaolin from Edgar, FL - a unique, high quality water washed ceramic kaolin which offers very white fired color, unusually good forming characteristics and high green strength. In glazes, EPK offers excellent suspension capabilities and uncommon cleanliness.

EWING

An intermediate-grained airfloated kaolin from Sandersville, GA - Ewing is selected, processed and controlled to meet the specific requirements of the fiberglass industry.

HAMILTON

Hamilton is a high surface area kaolin with good refractory characteristics. It provides good suspension and trowelabilityin mortars and grout applications.

KAOLEX SC

A high Al203, low alkali kaolin from Langley, SC - developed specifically for the refractories industry.

KAOLIN SLURRY

A carefully controlled kaolin-water suspension from Sandersville, GA - formulated for use in ceramic casting applications..

KINGSLEY

A coarse-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used in the dinnerware, tile, artware and electrical porcelain industries.

KT-CAST

A coarse-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in casting bodies based on its fast casting and exceptional deflocculation characteristics

OPTIKAST

An extremely coarse kaolin formulated for use in ceramic casting operations from Sandesville, GA. Extremely useful in pressure casting systems where a faster casting rate is desired. Also sold in slurry form.

ROGERS

A fine-grained montmorillonitic kaolin from Sandersville, GA - used primarily in plastic formed bodies. High strength and good deflocculation make its use advantageous in casting bodies on a controlled basis.

SAMSON

An intermediate-grained, white firing kaolin from Sandersville, GA. Used in both casting and pressing applications.

SAPPHIRE

A fine-grained, secondary kaolin from Sandersville, GA - known for its superior green strength and fired color. Applications include wall and floor tile, dinnerware and artware

WILSON

A refractory grade, intermediate-grained Kaolin from Sandersville, GA. Selected, processed and controlled to meet the specific requirements of the refractories industry.

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Product Range Pamphlet

G-200

G-200 Feldspar from Monticello, GA - a high quality potassium/ sodium/ calcium aluminum silicate ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Carefully beneficiated and controlled for quality, G-200 Feldspar offers low iron oxide and high alkali oxide content per unit of alumina.

G-200HP

G-200HP feldspar from Monticello, GA - a high potassium/ aluminum silicate ground to 200 mesh for ceramic applications. Carefully beneficiated and controlled for quality, G-200HP offers high potash content and low iron oxide per unit of alumina. 

MINSILSPAR 1

A 30 mesh feldspathic sand from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the ceramic tile and other ceramic applications where finer grinds of the product are not required.

MINSILSPAR

A 170 mesh feldspathic sand (sand-spar) product from Spruce Pine, NC - used primarily in the sanitaryware industry.

MINSPAR 1

A minus 30 mesh Feldspar product from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the glass container and ceramic tile markets.

MINSPAR 200

A 200 mesh flotation grade soda Feldspar from Spruce Pine, NC - used in the ceramic whiteware industry for sanitaryware, dinnerware, artware and glazes.

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160D

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

325D

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

325FF

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The platy nature of 325FF Mica contributes to improved crack resistance in formulted, high solids aqueous applications.

AMC

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The platy nature of AMC Mica contributes to improved crack resistance in formulted, high solids aqueous applications such as joint compound, coating, sealants, and adhesives.

AMC 50

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution.

AMC 150

Dry ground mica (complex potassium aluminum silicate) with a controlled particle size distribution. The inherent platy nature of AMC 150 enhances the release performance (anti-tack) in such rubber molding and sheet production.

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Imerys North America Ceramics works in partnership with its customers to provide new and innovative solutions. From minerals to industrial applications, Imerys draws on its vast knowledge to improve its customers’ products and processes. Our understanding of market needs, technical creativity, operating excellence and disciplined cost management make Imerys a world leader in adding value to minerals.

The higher surface area of Suprex®, has gained worldwide recognition as the premier kaolin filler. Higher modulus, tensile strength, tear resistance, abrasion resistance, and green strength are just a few of the benefits from using Suprex®. Additionally, the hard kaolin properties provide cured stiffness to elastomeric compounds. Imerys also offers lower surface area kaolins such as, Paragon®, which provide lower modulus build at equal loadings as compared with hard kaolins. Greater flexibility and higher elongation are also benefits derived from using Paragon® where lower vulcanizate physical properties are required.

#3380 is a performance ball clay extender designed to be a cost effective option to air-floated kaolins. As a result of its fine particle size and high surface area, this product imparts similar physical properties in elastomeric compounds.

Minspar® is a pebble mill-ground extender produced by a specially designed classification from head feed produced by wet froth flotation of alaskite ore mined from a remarkably uniform granite deposit. Minspar® has found wide acceptance in water-based and solvent based coatings for both exterior and interior applications. Because of this unique method of processing, Minspar® has gained acceptance in silicone rubber adhesive & sealants and plastic markets. Superior whitness, low oil absorption, excellent tint retention and non-frosting are just some of the benefits.

Further information

Valued Added Minerals brochure

Engobes are a sub base coating and as such require high performance materials. This application hides the color of a body and retards the effects of contaminants in the body. Glaze and enamel applications are applied over the engobe. These applications demand that the raw materials used are of the utmost purity because they form the finish surface of the end product. The raw materials must also provide consistent suspension characteristics to the glaze or enamel and uniform chemistry.

The ceramic coatings market has consistently turned to Imerys for quality clays to meet their requirements. Quality and consistency are required in order to get the desired performance from materials that have been designed specifically for ceramic coating applications. Imerys puts a great deal of effort in assuring the clays we mine are right every time.

Quality ball clays for glaze and engobes are mined at Gleason, Tennessee and Mayfield, Kentucky. Enamel clays are also mined and processed in Crenshaw, Mississippi. Imerys is the only ball clay producer that has clays from each of these regions. Imerys' history as a ceramic coatings clay producer is excellent. The quality efforts of the company and performance range of the clays are exactly what are needed to meet the high demands of the ceramic coatings market. There are also excellent plastic, high suspension, white firing kaolins available from our plant in Sandersville, Ga. Of equal importance is the white firing feldspar, which is produced for coating applications at our Spruce Pine plants.

Imerys' technical staff is available to discuss your requirements in this application.

The hobby Industry is one of the oldest uses for industrial minerals. At Imerys North America Ceramics we focus our product developement reducing costs and seeking new raw materials in order to supply our dedicated customers with the lowest priced highest quality products possible.

Hobby crafts is one of the most diverse industries in the World. The tight tolerances required for this product demands the use of high quality and extremely consistent raw materials. The ball clays and kaolins generally must be white firing and add strength and plasticity to the finished product. At Imerys we supply all the components to the hobby Industry. The ball clays come from all three of our plant locations in Kentucky , Tennessee, & Mississippi. Our kaolins used for the tile industry are produced in Sandersville, GA and Langley, SC.

Sanitaryware is one of the most difficult ceramic products to produce. This fact is due to the varied wall thickness and the tremendous size of the various pieces. The shrinkage throughout the process sets up stresses that could cause problems in every facet of the operation. For this reason the selection of raw materials for use in this industry is critical.

The Sanitaryware Industry is of primary focus for Imerys North America Ceramics. When it comes to raw materials for Sanitaryware, Imerys has no equal. Our quality casting ball clay, kaolin, and feldspar products are selectively mined and processed from world class deposits. Imerys is the only company in North America that has the full sanitaryware product range.

Our quality ball clays are mined in the Crenshaw, MS, Gleason, TN and Mayfield, KY areas. Imerys is the only raw material supplier mining in all three areas. The range of casting properties available covers the full performance range needed to meet the demands of  the modern sanitaryware manufacturer. Through continuous innovation in its slurry product line, Imerys has remained in the forefront supplying ball clay slurries to the industry. The unique properties from each of these deposits can be blended to your requirements. When it comes to ball clays for sanitaryware, Imerys is unsurpassed.

Our fast casting kaolin products are processed at our two facilities in Sandersville, Georgia, the heart of "Kaolin Country". These kaolins have continually set the standard for casting performance in sanitaryware. The highest quality kaolins available are required to produce such a difficult product as Sanitaryware.

Imerys feldspar in Spruce Pine, NC and Monticello, GA provides the most consistent Feldspar products available. The chemical flotation process that is used in this plant produces high quality, extremely pure products. Minspar 200 is used in applications from Glazes to Bodies. Minsilspar, our silica/feldspar blend, is ideal for supplying the total non-plastics portion of the formulation. Whether it is quality feldspar or feldspathic-sand, Imerys can meet your needs.

Further information

Imerys Sanitaryware
US Sanitaryware brochure

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