OUR GROUP

Imerys operates 115 mining sites⁽¹⁾ and 29 different minerals or mineral groups. The Group draws on its knowledge of their properties and applications to mine, enrich and combine them to deliver the required effects to its customers. From deposit through to customer, find about all the key stages in Imerys’ business.

Deposit identification
The diversity of needs and end applications demands a diverse portfolio in terms of mineral nature and quality. Imerys’ rare and in some cases unique mineral reserves are strategic assets. They are identified and appraised by an experienced team of geologists to ensure renewal and diversification.

Mine operation
Selecting the right techniques for the characteristics of each deposit means that minerals can be extracted in optimum economic and environmental conditions. Sites at the end of their operating life are restored in the best possible state for neighboring communities. Restoration plans are studied from the outset of a new mine project under a Group-wide responsible management process.

Innovation
Imerys builds close partnerships with its major customers and calls on substantial resources to achieve innovations that meet their exact needs, with 270 scientists, 7 research & technology centers, 18 market-focused regional laboratories, cooperation with renowned institutes patents. As at the end of 2009, Imerys owned 3,300 registered or pending trademarks, 810 granted and filed patents, 190 industrial designs.

Mineral conversion
To obtain the required properties, minerals are refined and converted by various processes that act on their concentration, size, shape and structure. These operations are reproduced on a large scale across thousands of tons of materials.

Process industrialization
Many conversion processes are unique to Imerys. The Group has designed specific facilities for crushing, purification by physical or physical-chemical separation, screening, grading, centrifuging, drying, firing, melting and calcination.

Finished product packing
Products are marketed in a wide variety of forms and volumes: powders, granules, suspensions, ceramic bodies, slurries, bricks, tiles and slates, etc. Imerys has great experience in bagging, packaging and marking. The quality of these stages contributes to the brand image of the Group’s products.

Distribution
Imerys implements effective, competitive logistics. Whether by sea, rail or road transport, reliable deliveries are a core concern for every customer.

Implementation
Depending on the application, Imerys provides implementation services or even turnkey operations. This is the case, for example, in refractories for large industrial furnaces. From design to heat-up, Imerys’ teams can take on an entire relining or upgrading project.
Imerys also offers technical training to enable its customers to draw full benefit from products such as building materials.


⁽¹⁾ One mining site could include several mines and quarries.