Rio Tinto Minerals (formerly US Luzenac)

A talc for every possible application

 is a market focused producer of talc. Every year, the company produces, ships and sells in excess of 1.4 million tons of talc from over 30 mines and processing plants in Europe, North and South America and Australia.

This makes Rio Tinto Minerals the world leader in its field.  With the widest talc product range and unsurpassed processing expertise, it is the only talc producer that can meet all end-user requirements worldwide.

Although talc is best known as a personal care product, this is the least of its applications. Talc is a functional mineral with natural properties such as water repellence, heat resistance and biological inertness that makes it an important ingredient in the manufacture of paper, paints, plastic and many other familiar products.

Each talc orebody differs according to its genesis and every talc is different and can be applied to different functions according to a customer's needs. Rio Tinto Minerals services about 4,000 customers ranging from paper manufacturers to pharmaceutical companies. The major volume markets are the paper, paint, plastics and ceramics industries.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado Rio Tinto Minerals has operations in Timmins, Canada; Ludlow, Vermont; Houston, Texas; Mexico City, Mexico; and Three Forks and Ennis in Montana.