EP Minerals

About EP Minerals

EP Minerals is a specialty industrial minerals company with deep roots in natural resource science. Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, the company has been mining diatomaceous earth (DE) since 1945, making it one of the most experienced producers of engineered mineral products in the world. Today, EP Minerals operates as part of U.S. Silica, a publicly traded industrial minerals leader, while continuing to develop and manufacture the same trusted mineral products under its established brand names.

The Science Behind the Minerals

EP Minerals draws its core products from three naturally occurring industrial minerals: diatomaceous earth, perlite, and montmorillonite clay. Diatomaceous earth — also known as diatomite or kieselguhr — consists of the fossilized skeletal remains of microscopic freshwater algae called diatoms. These ancient organisms, whose deposits were formed in freshwater lakes covering much of present-day Nevada and eastern Oregon millions of years ago, leave behind a highly porous, silica-rich structure that gives DE its remarkable absorption and filtration properties. EP Minerals' Celatom® DE deposits consist almost entirely of freshwater diatoms, resulting in a cylindrical shape and high pore volume that deliver outstanding mechanical strength and filtration performance.

Perlite, another key mineral in the EP Minerals portfolio, is a naturally occurring volcanic glass that expands dramatically when heated, yielding an extremely low bulk density product well-suited to filtration and functional additive applications. Montmorillonite clay, mined from calcium bentonite deposits in Tennessee, is thermally processed into granular products used widely as absorbents and carriers across industrial, automotive, and agricultural settings.

Absorbents for Automotive & Industrial Use

One of EP Minerals' most recognized product areas is granular absorbents for the automotive and industrial sectors. Brands like Floor-Dry™, Safety Absorbent™, Safe T Sorb®, M.A.X.-DRI™, and Qualisorb® have become trusted names in garages, workshops, and industrial facilities for quickly and safely cleaning up oil, water, grease, and other liquid spills. Floor-Dry, made from highly purified, kiln-fired diatomaceous earth, is engineered to absorb more liquid per pound than any other mineral on the market — absorbing twice as much liquid as calcined clay. EP Minerals' brands have been recognized throughout the automotive industry for more than 30 years, distributed widely by major automotive aftermarket retailers and distributors.

Filter Aids & Functional Additives

Beyond absorbents, EP Minerals is a global leader in DE and perlite filter aids used across food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, swimming pool filtration, oil and gas, and wastewater treatment. The Celatom® filter aid line is considered an industry standard for filtration performance, used to purify everything from beer and wine to edible oils and sweeteners. The company also produces functional additives — including paint pigment extenders, anti-caking agents, and fertilizer carriers — that improve the performance of hundreds of downstream products. EP Minerals ships its mineral products to over 100 countries around the globe, serving industries from agriculture and aquatics to aerospace and cosmetics.

Innovation & Engineered Materials

EP Minerals has invested heavily in research and development, positioning itself as what it describes as a science and technology company as much as a mining operation. Its R&D team has developed patented and patent-pending products, including a granular filter media for arsenic and contaminant removal from drinking water, and a surface-treated release agent for the manufacture of automotive safety glass. This commitment to innovation ensures that EP Minerals' product lines continue to evolve alongside the industries they serve.