<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2019-04-01</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2019-04-02</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000891014</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MINERALS TECHNOLOGIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MTX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001457249</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Deans Alison Ann</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>622 THIRD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>38TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10017</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable></nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Phantom Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2019-04-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>277.544</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>277.544</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>277.544</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Each phantom stock unit is the economic equivalent of one share of Minerals Technologies Inc. common stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The phantom stock units were accrued under the Minerals Technologies Inc. Non-Funded Deferred Compensation and Unit Award Plan for Non-Employee Directors and are to be settled in cash upon the reporting person's termination of service as a director.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Due to an administrative miscalculation, the Form 4 as originally filed on April 2, 2019, incorrectly reported the number of derivative securities acquired by the Reporting Person and the Reporting Person's holdings.  The Form 4, as amended by this Form 4/A, correctly reports such information. Two subsequent Form 4s also reported incorrect holdings and incorrect dividend calculations.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>THOMAS J. MEEK FOR ALISON DEANS</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2019-07-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
