Industrial Minerals

4 materials shown. Figures are from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · as each source defines it for each commodity · source ↗

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Material	Shelf	World production 2025	World reserves	Leading producer
☆HeliumThe only element cold enough to keep an MRI magnet superconducting, and the only one light…	Industrial Minerals	190.0million cubic meters · Helium Production	—	United States43% of world production†
☆Silicon Carbide & AbrasivesMan-made grit — silicon carbide and fused alumina — harder than almost every natural mineral…	Industrial Minerals	not published	—	—
☆Diamond (Industrial)Diamond used not as a gem but as a cutting edge — most of it grown in a press rather than dug…	Industrial Minerals	38.00million carats · Mine production	1,700	Russia42% of world production†
☆ArgonAlmost one percent of the air you are breathing, and the cheapest way to keep oxygen away from…	Industrial Minerals	not published	—	—

† Worked out from the USGS production table: the leading country’s output divided by the world total. Where the USGS publishes the share itself, that figure is shown instead.