Sibelco
Sibelco is a Belgian-founded multinational (est. 1872) that mines, processes, and sells industrial minerals — silica, clays, feldspathics, and olivine — and operates one of the world's largest glass recycling platforms, serving glass, ceramics, electronics, construction, and renewable energy customers across 31 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1872
- HeadquartersAntwerp, Belgium
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Sibelco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sibelco
- Legal name
- SCR-Sibelco NV
- Website
- https://filcom.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1872
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Sibelco is a Belgian-founded multinational (est. 1872) that mines, processes, and sells industrial minerals — silica, clays, feldspathics, and olivine — and operates one of the world's largest glass recycling platforms, serving glass, ceramics, electronics, construction, and renewable energy customers across 31 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sibelco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Minerals
- NAICS
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327), All Other Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327999), All Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (32799)
- SIC
- Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz) (IMAKAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Feldspar & Nepheline Syenite Mining (IMAKAGAI), Critical Minerals Recycling & Urban Mining (Li, Ni, Co, Graphite, REE) (IMAKAFAK), Glass Processing & Beneficiation (Cullet Production) (BPALADAG)
Keywords
Where Sibelco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antwerp
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Sibelco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Minerals Sales: Mining, processing and selling industrial minerals including silica, clays, feldspathics, olivine, high purity quartz, nepheline syenite, kaolin, baryte, and feldspar. Products are sold to customers across construction, electronics, glass, ceramics, coatings, and other industrial sectors.
- Glass Recycling (Cullet): Transforms approximately 5 million tonnes of waste glass annually into high-purity cullet for reuse in container glass industry and other applications. Revenue generated from selling processed recycled glass materials.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sibelco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sibelco mines, processes, and sells industrial minerals worldwide, with a primary focus on silica, clays, feldspathics, and olivine, alongside a portfolio of specialty minerals such as high purity quartz, nepheline syenite, kaolin, baryte, and calcium silicate. The company also operates a glass recycling business that transforms approximately 5 million tonnes of waste glass annually into high-purity cullet through over 60 recycling facilities across Europe and North America, serving industries including electronics, glass manufacturing, ceramics, coatings, water filtration, construction, and renewable energy.
Product overview
Sibelco is a global material solutions company that mines, processes, and sells industrial minerals at locations worldwide, focused primarily on silica, clays, feldspathics, and olivine. The company operates 118 production sites across 31 countries and is a leader in glass recycling, transforming approximately 5 million tonnes of waste glass annually into high-purity cullet. The product portfolio centers on a multi-mineral offering including High Purity Quartz (including the IOTA® quartz brand from Spruce Pine, NC), Feldspar, Kaolin, Nepheline Syenite, Olivine (including GREENFLOWTM branded product), Baryte (PORTARYTE® brand), Silica, Calcium Carbonate, and specialty minerals like Cristobalite, Ball Clays, Chromite, and Dolomite. The company also offers branded solutions including BLUEGUARD® for heavy metal removal in water filtration and SCOREX® for calcium silicate applications in bioenergy. Sibelco serves diverse industries including ceramics, glass, coatings, polymers, electronics, water filtration, renewable energy, construction, and agriculture, supported by an online shop platform and dedicated technical support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IOTA®: High purity quartz brand mined from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA operations with exclusive optical, mechanical and thermal properties for electronics applications.
- PORTARYTE®
- BLUEGUARD®
- GREENFLOW™
- SCOREX®
Products and services
- IOTA® High Purity Quartz Ultra-pure quartz marketed under the IOTA® brand with exclusive optical, mechanical and thermal properties, mined from Spruce Pine, NC, and supplied to semiconductor, solar cell, display glass, fibre optics, and printed circuit board manufacturers.
- Feldspar Alumino-silicate mineral sold as a fluxing agent in ceramics and glass production and as a functional filler in paints, plastics, rubber, and adhesives.
- Nepheline Syenite Alumino-silicate mineral used in glass, ceramics, and coatings applications as a flux and functional filler.
- Kaolin Clay mineral supplied to ceramics, paper, coatings, and bioenergy sectors, where it helps minimise slagging, fouling and corrosion in biomass combustion.
- PORTARYTE® Baryte Natural baryte (barium sulphate) supplied under the PORTARYTE® brand to improve UV and chemical resistance in coatings, soundproofing in plastics, opacity in resin systems, and friction in brake linings, featuring medium Mohs hardness of 3 and high refractive index of 1.64.
- Silica Silica sand and flour supplied to glass manufacturers, water filtration operators, electronics producers, and bioenergy operators as a high-performance bed material for low-alkali fuel combustion.
- BLUEGUARD® Heavy Metal Removal Solution Patented BLUEGUARD® mineral-based solution that efficiently removes heavy metals from industrial wastewater, marketed as compact, easy to use, and offering an extremely low carbon footprint compared to alternative waste removal techniques.
- GREENFLOW™ Olivine for Bioenergy Olivine-based product branded as GREENFLOW™ that fluidizes boilers and increases efficiency when burning specific types of biomass, limiting agglomeration, fouling and corrosion through high resistance to alkaline fuel sources.
- SCOREX® Calcium Silicate Calcium silicate product branded SCOREX® and manufactured from recycled blast furnace slag for bioenergy boiler use, where it rejects impurities, reduces bottom ash, and causes less boiler erosion than alternatives.
- Recycled Glass Cullet High-purity recycled glass cullet supplied to container glass, float glass, insulation glass wool, and abrasives manufacturers, sorted through proprietary optical sorting technology into clear (99% flint), green, amber, and dead leaf colour grades.
- Olivine Magnesium iron silicate mineral used in water filtration, bioenergy bed materials, and specialty aggregate applications, where it limits agglomeration, fouling and corrosion in alkaline fuel sources.
- Cristobalite High-purity silica mineral supplied as a functional filler and extender in coatings, paints, polymers, and other specialty applications.
- Calcium Carbonate Versatile mineral supplied as a filler and extender to coatings, plastics, rubber, paper, and ceramics manufacturers.
- Ball Clays Fine-grained clays supplied to ceramics manufacturers for their plastic properties and firing characteristics, with applications in sanitaryware, tiles, tableware, and technical ceramics.
- Chromite Iron magnesium chromium oxide mineral sold for refractories, foundry sands, and as a pigment in ceramics and glass production.
- Dolomite Calcium magnesium carbonate mineral supplied to ceramics, glass, agriculture, and metallurgical process customers as a flux.
- Activated Carbon Specially processed carbon supplied for water filtration applications where it adsorbs contaminants and impurities.
- Anorthosite Plutonic rock rich in feldspar supplied to glass fibre, ceramic, and industrial mineral manufacturers.
- Aluminium Oxide Specialty mineral supplied for electronics, coatings, and abrasives applications.
- Aluminium Trihydrate (ATH) Mineral supplied to electronics manufacturers as a flame retardant and filler, with additional applications in coatings and polymers.
- Bauxite Aluminium ore mineral supplied for use in abrasives, refractories, and as a raw material in aluminium production.
- Sibelco Online Shop E-commerce platform enabling customers to browse Sibelco's product offerings, select industrial minerals and specialty products, and place orders online with short lead times and fast, on-time deliveries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transforms 5 million tonnes of waste glass into high-purity cullet annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sibelco
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Sibelco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sibelco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Belgian Solar Team (Innoptus)minorSibelco is a Golden Partner of the Belgian Solar Team, supporting the team's mission to push the boundaries of solar-powered transportation and inspire the next generation of engineers. The partnership reflects Sibelco's commitment to sustainability, innovation, and advancing technologies that contribute to a lower-carbon future. Several Sibelco minerals are used in critical technologies enabling renewable energy solutions, including high-purity quartz from Spruce Pine operations used in semiconductor and solar cell production.
- BiR&D (Belgian Industrial Research & Development)coreSibelco officially joined BiR&D, the Belgian network of international industrial companies with major R&D operations in Belgium. The membership reinforces Sibelco's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across industry and academia. BiR&D connects industrial R&D leaders from a wide range of sectors to strengthen Belgium's position as a leading hub for industrial research and innovation. Founded in 2009, BiR&D represents approximately 10,000 professionals in Belgium and more than 75,000 worldwide.
- Saint-GobaincoreSibelco and Saint-Gobain have agreed to separate the Jundu joint venture in Brazil, subject to regulatory approvals. Jundu has been a successful partnership for more than 60 years and is a well-established supplier of industrial minerals in Brazil. As part of the proposed separation, the Analândia, Balneário Barra do Sul, Estância and Santa Maria Eterna sites will become part of Sibelco, while the Descalvado, São João Del Rey, Bom Sucesso do Itararé and Viamão sites will remain with Saint-Gobain. The separation is expected to take place during 2026.
- UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)coreSibelco contributed to the third edition of UNEP's flagship report 'Sand and Sustainability: An Essential Resource for Nature and Development', which examines the role of sand in sustainable development. The report highlights the importance of balancing development needs with environmental protection through responsible extraction, improved governance, resource efficiency and circular approaches. Cathy Blervacq, VP Sustainability at Sibelco, contributed perspectives on sustainable resource management and industry collaboration.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sibelco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 3M Company: US diversified industrial conglomerate using industrial minerals (baryte, silica, ceramics) in abrasives, coatings and electronics—large end-customer and occasional competitor where it sources internally versus buying from suppliers like Sibelco.
- Tronox Holdings: US-listed vertically integrated miner of titanium dioxide and zircon with adjacent industrial-minerals operations. Overlaps with Sibelco's broader mineral-sands and specialty-minerals exposure across coatings and ceramics end markets.
- Saint-Gobain: French multinational building materials leader and one of Sibelco's largest customers for industrial sand and feldspar; 60+ year Jundu JV partner (now separating). Comparable in raw-materials exposure but far broader downstream in glass, insulation and construction products.
Direct peers
- Quarzwerke Group: German family-owned producer of industrial minerals (silica, feldspar, kaolin, nepheline) serving glass, foundry, ceramics and construction. Direct competitor with overlapping product range and European-centric footprint.
- Imerys: Paris-listed global leader in mineral-based specialty solutions with overlapping portfolios in kaolin, feldspar, calcium carbonate and high-purity minerals for ceramics, paper, paints and electronics. Imerys is Sibelco's most direct large-scale competitor across multiple mineral categories.
- Mineral Technologies Inc. US-listed subsidiary of Alpha ESR that mines and processes industrial minerals including silica sand, dolomite, magnesia and talc for glass, construction, ceramics and coatings—directly comparable to Sibelco's minerals portfolio.
- Heraeus Conamic: Division of Heraeus focused on high-purity quartz, fused silica and engineered materials for semiconductor and optics. Direct competitor to IOTA® HPQ in crucible, optics and semiconductor-grade quartz applications.
- Covia Holdings: US-based producer of industrial silica sand, nepheline syenite and calcium carbonate serving glass, foundry, oil & gas and building products. Acquired US Silica's core operations and is a direct competitor to Sibelco's North American silica volumes.
- Momentive Technologies: Producer of high-purity fused silica and quartz crucibles serving semiconductor wafer processing and solar—directly competitive with Sibelco's IOTA® range in HPQ applications.
Emerging players
- Denka Company: Japanese chemical and specialty materials company with silica and inorganic-mineral products overlapping with Sibelco's electronics, ceramics and coatings portfolio; significant Asia-Pacific regional presence comparable to Sibelco's APAC footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sibelco social profiles
Digital presenceSibelco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sibelco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sibelco subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Sibelco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sibelco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sibelco
What does Sibelco do?
Sibelco mines, processes, and sells industrial minerals worldwide, with a primary focus on silica, clays, feldspathics, and olivine, alongside a portfolio of specialty minerals such as high purity quartz, nepheline syenite, kaolin, baryte, and calcium silicate. The company also operates a glass recycling business that transforms approximately 5 million tonnes of waste glass annually into high-purity cullet through over 60 recycling facilities across Europe and North America, serving industries including electronics, glass manufacturing, ceramics, coatings, water filtration, construction, and renewable energy.
Is Sibelco a public or private company?
Sibelco is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Sibelco founded?
Sibelco was founded in 1872. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Sibelco based?
Sibelco is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Sibelco make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Industrial Minerals Sales are the primary driver. The others are glass Recycling (Cullet).
Who are Sibelco's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 3M Company, Tronox Holdings and Saint-Gobain. Direct peers are Quarzwerke Group, Imerys, Mineral Technologies Inc., Heraeus Conamic, Covia Holdings and Momentive Technologies. Denka Company is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sibelco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sibelco.
What industry is Sibelco in?
Sibelco's product category is Industrial Minerals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAGAK, Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz), with a secondary code of IMAKAGAI, Feldspar & Nepheline Syenite Mining. Its NAICS code is 327 and its SIC code is 1400.