Kyanite: The Basics
If you’re a Kyanite Mining Corporation customer, you probably already know a bit about our favorite mineral. We put together a brief overview about Kyanite and the questions we’re most often asked so that you have a handy go-to the next time someone asks you about your work (or use of Kyanite!).
What is Kyanite?
Virginia Kyanite is an industrial mineral concentrate that contains 56-61% alumina by weight. Kyanite is sold in granular or powder form and can be shipped in a variety of grain sizes, ranging from thirty-five mesh (425 microns) material to our micronized material (d50=10-16 microns).
Virginia Kyanite is produced through a highly sophisticated beneficiation process. Quality control techniques are applied at every step to ensure a consistent, high-quality Kyanite concentrate.
If you have a particular size that you’re looking for, please reach out to us as we do have sizes that we can offer that aren’t listed on our spec sheet.
How is Kyanite used?
Virginia Kyanite is used in refractory applications for its low impurities, predictable expansion, high mullite content upon heating, excellent creep resistance, high hot strength, chemical attack resistance, high thermal shock resistance, and abundant supply and reserves.
Kyanite converts to mullite at a temperature of about 1250-1430°C with an associated 17-19% volumetric expansion. This large, irreversible expansion of Kyanite is utilized in a variety of high-alumina refractories to off-set the shrinkage associated with other refractory raw materials and to increase density and reduce porosity in the void spaces of the matrix.
Kyanite can be used in monolithics/castables, bricks, pre-cast shapes, foundry mold coatings and washes, mullite/cordierite kiln furniture, tiles, brake shoes, grinding wheels, ceramic parts, pottery, sanitaryware, ovenware, and more.
If you have specific applications in mind, reach out to us! We’d be happy to talk through options with you.
How much Kyanite do we have left?
Kyanite Mining Corporation owns outright and currently mines two massive ore bodies in central Virginia. We also have the mineral rights to additional Kyanite ore bodies that undoubtably contain substantial reserves of their own. These ore bodies are so extensive that the company does not know with scientific precision their full extent.
There are decades of Kyanite supply left in the deposits we currently mine and in the untapped deposits that we own. This means a lot of Kyanite—we sell most of the world’s Kyanite and will continue to for generations to come!
Do you sell collector’s pieces of Kyanite?
No. The Kyanite that is typically used in jewelry is a brilliant blue. Our kyanite is generally grey in color. While unfortunate for collectors, this makes it a better material for certain industrial uses.
Have a more specific question? Reach out to us!
