Wollastonite Mining Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis By Type of Mine (Open-pit and Underground), By Deposit Type (Metamorphosized Rocks, Igneous Rocks, and Skarn Deposits), and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

Wollastonite is a calcium inosilicate mineral that is naturally occurring and may constitute iron, magnesium, and manganese substituting for calcium. It is generally a white, colorless, or grey mineral. Wollastonite is a very rare metal and is scantily found in the world. Its chemical and physical properties have found wide-ranging applications in various industries as a functional filler to enhance properties, which has led to a surge in demand for wollastonite mining.

Due to increased industrialization and urbanization, there has been a surge in the demand for construction and various other activities. Wollastonite is used in fire-resistant building materials in place of asbestos. It is used in plastics to improve durability and electric insulation. It is used in welding and metallurgical applications due to its low water solubility and low loss during ignition. These applications have driven the demand for wollastonite in the market, which is likely to drive the global wollastonite mining market during the forecast period.

The key market restraint for the market is the lack of successful explorations of wollastonite across the globe. The mining process involves massive investments in explorations and a low success rate in explorations, affecting the growth of the market.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a critical impact on varied wollastonite mining. The shutdown of businesses and imposed lockdown slowed down mining activities, impacting the mining industry. The unavailability of raw materials and labor for the production of wollastonite mining products impacted the market growth.

KEY INSIGHTS

The report covers the following key insights:

• Recent Advancements in the Wollastonite Mining Market


• Key Industry Trends


• Regulatory Landscape for the Wollastonite Mining Market


• Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships)


• Impact of COVID-19 on the Market

SEGMENTATION

ANALYSIS BY TYPE OF MINE 

Based on type of mine, the market is classified into open-pit and underground. The open-pit segment accounted for the major share of the market and it is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. This type provides greater recovery of the wollastonite ore due to the increased maneuverability using heavy machinery. Furthermore, wollastonite ore is located close to the surface. Open-pit mining is also a safer alternative to underground mining.

ANALYSIS BY DEPOSIT TYPE

Based on deposit type, the market is classified into metamorphosized rocks, igneous rocks, and skarn deposits. The metamorphosized rocks segment accounted for a major share of the market and is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Wollastonite is formed when impure limestones undergo metamorphosis or when silica-bearing fluids and calcareous sediments undergo metamorphosis. It is the most widely found deposit type of wollastonite, especially in China and India.

Wollastonite is also found in the form of igneous rocks that are contaminated by carbon-rich inclusions. They are mostly used as a stone for buildings and statues and mostly in areas of heavy wear as they withstand both weathering and erosion better than most sedimentary rocks or concrete. The segment is  expected to grow over the forecast period.

Skarn deposits are economically valuable as sources of metals such as tin, tungsten, manganese, copper, gold, zinc, lead, nickel, molybdenum, and iron.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

By region, the global wollastonite mining market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific accounted for a major share of the global market, as most of the Wollastonite deposits are located in this region, such as China, India, and Japan. China is the world’s largest wollastonite producer, producing over 74% of the world’s total wollastonite mining produce.

North America is the fastest-growing region for the global wollastonite mining market, owing to the increasing number of successful explorations in the region, especially in nations such as the U.S. and Canada. North America is also a rapidly growing market due to the increased mining activities in the U.S. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa markets regions are steadily growing due to the rising wollastonite mining activities in Mexico, Chile, Kenya, Madagascar, and South Africa.

KEY PLAYERS COVERED

The report includes the profiles of key players such as Wolkem India Limited, NYCO Minerals, Inc., Imerys, R. T. Vanderbilt Co., Vertical Exploration Inc., Jilin Shanwei Wollastonite Mining CO., LTD, Mineworx Technologies Ltd., Canadian Wollastonite, Anhui Pioneer Mining Co. Ltd., and Nordkalk Corporation.

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

• In October 2023, Canadian Wollastonite joined UNDO to remove over 1 million tons of CO2 in the coming years by spreading crushed wollastonite on local farmland. This partnership focuses on giving farmers crushed wollastonite rock for free to spread on their land for higher crop yields, improved soil health, and more profitable bottom lines.


• In February 2021, Vertical Exploration Inc. announced positive results for the application of the St-Onge wollastonite deposit located near Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, in agricultural activities to improve production methods for farmers and agricultural companies. The research was conducted with AGRINOVA in 2018.

In February 2019, the NYCO mining facility in Essex County was shut down after asbestos contamination was found in it. This led to massive losses in production and processing in the company and affected the wollastonite industry as a whole.