minspar 200
The Quartz Corporation
The minspar that the University of Montana receives comes from The Quartz Corp U.S.A (TQC). TQC was founded in 2011 after a merger of Imerys and Norsk Mineral. They operate their administrative office in Oslo, Norway, and their international sales office in Shanghai, China.
Minspar is mined for ceramics purposes as the closest replacement for Kona F-4 Feldspar, which is no longer mined. This material is mined commercially for flat and architectural glass production ( minspar is known for glass clarity), abrasives and polishes (industrial cleaners), plastics used in the automotive industry, engineered stone, adhesives, caulks, sealants, many plastics and rubbers, and paints and coatings (mostly clear coats and UV coatings).
Mining and Refining
TQC’s minspar mine is U.S. based. The mine, located in Spruce Pine, NC near the Appalachian Mountains, is one of the purest deposits of quartz in the world. In terms of distributing ceramics products, a U.S. mine seems like a solution for fewer carbon emissions from this material. However, the refinery that the raw material is processed in is located in Drag, Norway.
Minspar is mined through the open pit mining process. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the greatest emission factors regarding open pit feldspar mining are particulate matter and emissions from the drying and scrubbing process.
Routes
The raw material travels by truck and ship 4138 miles before it is even refined. Thankfully, the processed material is distributed from this same plant, and if we assume that the material comes straight to Laguna, CA, the processed minspar travels another 5023 miles, where it is purchased by the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts Clay Business, where it travels 1026 miles. After being purchased from the Bray by UM’s ceramics department, it travels another 113 miles. This material alone travels a total of 10,300 miles.
To see TQC’s locations, click here.