Six types of clays are mined in the United States:   ball clay, bentonite, common clay, fire clay, fuller's earth, and kaolin.  Mineral composition, plasticity, color, absorption qualities, firing characteristics, and clarification properties are a few of the characteristics used to distinguish between the different clay types.   Major domestic markets for these clays are as follows:   sanitaryware and ceramic tile for ball clays; absorbents, drilling mud, foundry sand bonding agent, and iron ore pelletizing for bentonite; brick, lightweight aggregate, and portland cement clinker for common clay and shale; refractories for fire clay; absorbents for fuller's earth; and paper and refractory markets for kaolin.

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Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Clays
    PDF Format:
       | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 |2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
• Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook

• Clay and Shale
    PDF Format:
       | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
    XLS Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 tables-only release | 2019 tables-only release |
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |

Special Publications

• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
  Data Series 140
  • Clays
• Statistical Compendium
• USGS Information Handout
  • Environmental Characteristics of Clays and Clay Mineral Deposits
    September 1999

Links

• Clay Minerals Society