renowned for its rich mineral resources, is home to notable kaolin deposits that offer promising opportunities for the country’s industrial and export sectors, including potential use as feedstock for High Purity Alumina (HPA) production.
Kaolin, a white clay mineral primarily composed of kaolinite, is widely valued for its traditional applications in ceramics, paper production, paints, plastics, rubber, and construction materials. Emerging advanced processing technologies now position high-quality kaolin as a cost-effective and lower-energy feedstock for producing High Purity Alumina (HPA – 99.99%+ Al₂O₃). HPA is a critical material in lithium-ion batteries (as a separator coating), LEDs, semiconductors, synthetic sapphire, and other high-tech applications.
In Chile, deposits are found across several regions, including:
Chile has seen steady industrial mineral output, with kaolin production showing growth in recent years.
Local companies are actively extracting and processing kaolin for domestic use. With global demand surging for HPA — driven by the electric vehicle and electronics boom — Chile’s kaolin resources present strategic potential for further exploration, value-added processing, and development of domestic HPA supply chains.
“Chile’s diverse geology continues to deliver critical industrial minerals like kaolin, which can support both traditional industries and next-generation applications such as High Purity Alumina, fostering economic development and technological advancement,” said a representative from the sector.
For more information on investment opportunities, partnerships, or technical assessments, contact CPRM.