Abstract: Based on the chemical composition, mineral composition and mineralogical properties of industrial vermiculite, such as thermal and cation exchange properties, the effects of the burning expansion method, intercalation expansion method and intercalation-microwave expansion method on the expansion rate of expanded vermiculite are discussed. The results show that the mineral composition of industrial vermiculite is mainly phlogopite-vermiculite or biotite-vermiculite interlayer minerals, with a small amount of vermiculite or phlogopite. The Industrial vermiculite has good heating or intercalation expansion and cation exchange due to the vermiculite crystal layer in the structure. Compared with the burning heating expansion method, the microwave expansion method, the intercalation expansion method and the intercalation-microwave expansion method can be used to prepare high-strength flexible expanded vermiculite without damage to the structural layer. The high expansion rate expanded vermiculite prepared by the intercalation-microwave expansion method is a long worm-like porous lightweight material with an expansion ratio of 36 times and a bulk density of only 0.033 g/cm³. The expanded Vermiculite has excellent light weight, heat preservation and heat insulation properties. Industrial vermiculite minerals have many characteristics of strategic emerging minerals, and have the functions of energy saving and consumption reduction, energy intensity control and carbon emission reduction, and they play an important role in the strategy of Saving energy and reducing CO₂ emission.