Home›Operations›Expansion Plants
Expansion Plants
At our expansion facilities, we produce expanded perlite for a range of industrial applications using material sourced from our mines.
Expanded perlite is a lightweight, porous material produced by rapidly heating natural perlite ore to a high temperature. During heating, the glass structure softens and the water held within it turns to steam, causing the particles to expand. This increases the material’s volume while reducing its density.
We have four production facilities in Spain. At our Soneja (Castellón), Gelsa (Zaragoza) and Madrid facilities, we produce the MinaEx series of classic expanded perlite products.
At our main facility in Viguera, La Rioja, we apply controlled milling and air classification after expansion. Here, we produce the MinaFil series within our Classified Expanded Perlite range, alongside the MinaLite and MinaCare series within our Advanced Expanded Perlite Products range.
Integrated Production Structure
We supply our expansion facilities across four different regions of Spain with graded, unexpanded perlite sourced from our own mining sites in Türkiye and prepared at our ore processing facilities. For each expansion plant, we determine ore selection and preparation conditions according to the production process and the intended final product.
We evaluate the ore’s geological characteristics and expansion performance, adjusting particle size distribution to the requirements of each facility. This ensures that the feedstock is prepared to meet the technical requirements of the intended product before it reaches the expansion plant.
We manage the entire production chain internally, from the mining site to the finished product. Through production records, we trace each product’s ore source and processing history, supporting consistent quality throughout production.
Quality, Traceability and Continuity
Across all our facilities, we treat quality control, traceability and environmental management as integral parts of production. We evaluate data from PLC automation systems alongside inline measurements, regular sampling and laboratory analyses. We define quality criteria for each product group, checking density, particle size distribution, moisture, color, whiteness and chemical purity, as well as performance characteristics such as permeability and filtration rate according to the intended application.
We manage our operations under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. By linking raw material, production and analytical records, we maintain traceability of each finished product’s origin and production history. We use quality data to identify deviations and implement corrective actions, while monitoring energy and resource use and environmental impacts to reduce losses, improve efficiency and consistently meet customer requirements.
MinaEx
We produce the MinaEx series of classic expanded perlite at our Soneja, Gelsa and Madrid facilities. We use perlite ore selected to meet final product requirements and prepared to the target particle size distribution. The ore is fed into expansion furnaces at a controlled rate, with temperature and feed rate adjusted to achieve the required density and particle structure.
During rapid heating, the glass structure softens and the water held within it turns to steam, causing the particles to expand. We collect the expanded material using cyclone systems and check product quality against density, particle size distribution and performance criteria specific to each application.
MinaEx products provide weight reduction and thermal insulation in construction, insulation in cryogenic systems, aeration and water retention in agriculture and horticulture, and liquid absorption in other industrial applications. Selected grades are also used in specific food and feed applications. Coordination across our three facilities enables production close to the markets we serve and supports supply flexibility.
MinaFil, MinaLite and Minacare
At our main facility in Viguera, La Rioja, we produce perlite products tailored to different applications through controlled milling and air classification of expanded perlite. From expansion through final classification, we adjust production parameters to each product’s technical requirements, controlling both particle size distribution and performance characteristics.
For the MinaFil series within our Classified Expanded Perlite range, production is guided by the target permeability, filtration rate and particle retention performance required for liquid filtration. For MinaLite and MinaCare, part of our Advanced Expanded Perlite Products range, precision milling and classification produce very fine, controlled particle size distributions. Whiteness is a key quality criterion for these products, and we manage ore selection and production conditions to maintain the required whiteness level.
This production infrastructure allows us to supply products for filtration, paints, coatings, adhesives, composites and Consumer Care applications. Alongside our standard range, we can develop customized products by adapting ore selection and processing conditions to our customers’ formulation and application requirements.
