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Vermiculite

• Definition:
– Minerals with micaceous morphology
commonly formed by the alteration of
biotite and Iron-bearing phlogopite.
– Supergene alteration product formed by
the combined effects of weathering and
circulating groundwater.
– (Mg,Ca,K,Fe2+)3
(Si,AL,Fe3+)4O10(OH)2O4H2O, Hydrated
Magnesium Iron Aluminum Silicate
Hydroxide

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/vermicul/vermicul.htm
Vermiculite - Class
• Class: Silicates
(SiO4)

• Subclass: Phylosilicates
(The Sheet Structures)

• Groups: The Clays and the


Monmorillonite / Smectite Group
(It is sometimes put in the Mica group but recent analysis has excluded it from
that group)

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/
Vermiculite- Physical
Characteristics
• Color: Brown to golden brown, can also be
white, colorless, or yellow
• Luster: Pearly to greasy
• Transparency: Translucent crystals
• Cleavage: Perfect in one direction
• Fracture: Uneven to lamellar
• Hardness: About 1.5, which can
sometimes leave marks on paper
• Specific Gravity: 2.3-2.5
• Streak: white
• Crystal System: monoclinic, 2/m
(Hindman, 2006)
http://www.hoben.co.uk/vermiculite/specs.htm
Vermiculite- Physical
Characteristics
• Crystal Habit: Pseudohexagonal tabular
crystals (“books”), also compact or
lamellar masses or microscopic crystals
• Other Characteristics: When heated,
crystals expand to many times their
original volume.
• Sintering temperature: 1260 Degrees C
• Melting Point: 1330 Degrees C
• Specific Heat: 1.8 kJ/kg.K.
• pH value: 8.0-9.5
• Thermal Conductivity: 0.062-
0.0656W/mK
Vermiculite- Associated
Minerals
• Corundum
• Apatite
• Serpentine
• Talc
• Stellerite
• Biotite
• Other clay minerals
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/
Vermiculite- Physical
Characteristics
• There are water molecules within
the internal structure of
vermiculite, that when it is
heated to high temperatures,
the water transforms to steam,
causing the particles to increase
in volume.
• The thermal exfoliation increases
the volume usually 10 to 20
times
(Hindman., 2006)
Vermiculite- Typical Chemical
Analysis

(Hindman., 2006)
Vermiculite- Uses
• It is used in three primary forms:
– Untreated Concentrate
– Thermally Exfoliated
– The ground products of chemical or
thermal exfoliation
Vermiculite: Unexpanded, Expanded and a Single
Particle

http://www.vermiculite.net/
Vermiculite- Uses
(continued)
• CONSTRUCTION
• Acoustic finishes
• Air setting binder
• Board
• Fire protection (internal/external)
• Floor & roof screeds (lightweight
• Insulating concrete)
• Gypsum plaster
• Loft insulation
• Sound deadening compounds
http://www.vermiculite.org/uses.htm
(Kogel et al, 2006)
Vermiculite- Uses
(continued)
• HORTICULTURAL
• Blocking mixes
• Hydroponics
• Micro-propagation
• Potting mixes
• Rooting cuttings
• Seed germination
• Seedling wedge mix
• Sowing composts
• Twin scaling bulbs

http://www.vermiculite.org/uses.htm
(Kogel et al, 2006)
Vermiculite- Uses
(continued)
• AGRICULTURAL
• Animal feed
• Anti-caking material
• Bulking agent
• Fertilizer
• Pesticide
• Seed encapsulant
• Soil conditioner

http://www.vermiculite.org/uses.htm
(Kogel et al, 2006)
Vermiculite- Uses
(continued)
• INDUSTRIAL
• Absorbent packing
• Brake pads & brake shoes
• Castables
• Dispersions
• Drilling muds
• Filtration
• Fireproof safes
• Fixation of hazardous material
• Furnaces
• Insulation blocks & shapes
• Insulation - high & low temperature
• Molten metal insulation
• Molded products
• Nuclear waste disposal
• Paints
• Perfume absorbent
• Sealants http://www.vermiculite.org/uses.htm
(Kogel et al, 2006)
Exfoliated Vermiculite is great for thermal
insulation and can withstand temperatures over
1000 degrees Celsius.
Vermiculite is easy and clean to handle,
odorless, sound absorbent, non-abrasive, and
will not decay.
Vermiculite is used as a packing material
because it is lightweight , it can form around
objects, it takes shock well, it can absorb leaks,
and it is not a fire hazard.
Vermiculite of medium grade will improve
drainage when added to heavy soils.
Fine grade mixed with peat is a great compost
for growing seeds.
Vermiculite also helps fertilizers release more
nutrients which is more economical and
efficient.

Vermiculite is also used in the friction


industry.
http://www.hoben.com/vermiculite/index.htm
Vermiculite- U.S.
Occurrences

(Hindman, 2006)
Vermiculite- World
Occurrences

(Hindman, 2006)
Vermiculite- Production

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vermiculite/vermimcs06.pdf
Vermiculite- U.S. Production and
Trade

(Hindman, 2006)
Vermiculite- Processing

(Hindman, 2006)
Vermiculite- Production
Mining
Concentrate Drying Concentrate Crushing
Ore Transport
Concentrate Classifying
Ore Storage
Concentrate Storage
Ore Screening
Exfoliating Product Grinding
Ore Storage
Product Classifying
Ore Blending
Product Storage
Wet Processing
Most unexfoliated ore (640- 1,120 kg/m3) is
shipped in 100-ton hopper railcars in the
U.S. and Canada from the mills to the
exfoliation plants.
ttp://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch11/final/c11s28.pdf
Kogel et al., 2006)
Shipping in 10 to 20 ton trucks is becoming
Vermiculite- Exfoliation
Vertical furnace: Rotary drum furnace:
used in United States (Picured below)
(Hindman, 2006)used outside North

America
Principle of the Pipe-Exfoliation
1: unit of dosage
2: heating pipe
3: deflection plates
4: radiation elements
5: cooling system 

http://www.vermiculite-furnaces.com/Exfoliator/exfoliator.html#AnlagenundOfenbau
Vermiculite-
Crude/untreated

http://www.chinavermiculite.com/verm.htm
Vermiculite-
Expanded/exfoliated

http://www.chinavermiculite.com/verm2.htm
TABLE 2
ACTIVE VERMICULITE EXFOLIATION PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATE
IN 2005
Company   County  State

Isolatek International, Inc.  Sussex   New Jersey.


J.P. Austin Associates, Inc.  Beaver   Pennsylvania.
Palmetto Vermiculite Co., Inc. Spartanburg South Carolina.
P.V.P. Industries, Inc.   Trumbull Ohio.
Schundler Co., The   Middlesex New Jersey.
Southwest Vermiculite Co., Inc. Bernalillo New Mexico.
Sun Gro Horticulture, Inc.  Jefferson Arkansas.
Do.   La Salle   Illinois.
Thermal Ceramics Inc.   Macoupin Do.
Thermo-O-Rock East, Inc.  Washington Pennsylvania.
Thermo-O-Rock West, Inc.  Maricopa Arizona.
Verlite Co.   Hillsborough Florida.
Vermiculite Industrial Corp. Allegheny Pennsylvania.
Whittemore Co., Inc.   Essex   Massachusetts.
W.R. Grace & Co.   Maricopa Arizona.
Do.   Broward Florida.
Do.   Greenville South Carolina.
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vermiculite/vermimyb05.pdf
TABLE 3
ESTIMATED EXFOLIATED VERMICULITE SOLD OR
USED IN THE UNITED STATES, BY END USE 1

(Metric tons)

    2004   2005  
Aggregates2 24,300 22,300
Insulation3 W   W  
Agricultural:
Horticultural 22,200 24,600
Soil conditioning 22,800 W
Fertilizer carrier W   W  
Total W W
Other4 9,830   12,500  
Grand total5   90,000   85,000  
W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data;

included in "Grand total."


1Data rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not

add to totals shown.


2Includes concrete, plaster, and premixes (acoustic insulation,

fireproofing, and texturizing uses).


3Includes loose-fill, block, and other (high-temperature and

packing insulation and sealants).


4Includes various industrial and other uses not specified.
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vermiculite/vermimyb05.pdf
Vermiculite- Geologic
description
• Most mines today are deposits
that were formed in the pre-
Cambrian and Archean (1.5-3.0
billion years ago).
– Palabora region, South Africa
– Northwestern corners of China
– Eastern Appalachian range in U.S.
(Virginia and South Carolina)
• Younger deposits are Triassic in
age (225million years ago)
– Libby, Montana deposit
(Kogel et al., 2006)
Vermiculite- Geologic
description
• The formation of vermiculite is
basically the supergene alteration of
biotite at near surface conditions. (Hindman,
2006)

• When biotite turns into vermiculite,


there is a 10% to 40% volume
increase of particle size.
(Hindman, 2006)

• It will not form as a primary mineral,


and it is not stable under
hydrothermal conditions. (Roy and Romo, 1957)
Vermiculite- Exploration

• Near surface
• Large grain size for commercial
criteria-look at structures that
contain large biotite crystals
• Ultramafic intrusives: Coarse-
grained pyroxenites;
metamorphic bodies with biotite
schists and gneisses.

(Hindman, 2006)
Vermiculite- Exploration
Bush (1976): Three Classes Borovikov (1962): Four Groups
Type 1 deposits: in large Group 1: deposits in ultrabasic
ultramafic intrusions such as and alkaline rock complexes.
(Major deposits at Kovdor and Buldym in
pyroxenite. These are often Russia.)
zoned. (Libby, Montana and
Phalaborwa, Republic of South Africa)

Group 2: deposits in altered


Type 2 deposits: formed in carbonate rock.
smaller ultramafic intrusions
(dunite, peridotite, and
unzoned pyroxenite). Group 3: occurrences in
(North Carolina)
reaction zones of pegmatites,
talc, corundum, asbestos, and
other deposits, and also in
Type 3 deposits: formed metasomatic veins in
from metamorphic rocks serpentines.
(biotite schists and
amphibole schists). (Enoree,
South Carolina; Elk Gulch, Montana; most
deposits in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Group 4: deposits and
Wyoming.)
occurrences in micaceous
Vermiculite- Health
Risks?
• There are no health risks known for
general handling and exposure to
vermiculite.
• Vermiculite was found with the
asbestiform amphibole minerals of
the Rainy Creek vermiculite ore body
near Libby, Montana. Health issues
associated with the asbestos and
former mine workers resulted in
shutting the Libby mine down (1921-
1990).
(Hindman, 2006)
http://www.fafard.com
http://www.fafard.com//
References:
• Bush. 1976. Vermiculite in the United States. Pages 146-155 in 11th Industrial Minerals Forum. Special Publication 74.
Montana Bureau of Mines.

• Borovikov, P.P. 1962. Genetic types, conditions of formation and economic evaluation of vermiculite deposits. Pages
139-176 in Perlite and Vermiculite (Geology, Exploration and Production Technology.) Edited by V.Kh. Daragan.
Translated from Russian. New Delhi: Indian National scientific Documentation Centre.

• Conrad Fafard, Inc. http://www.fafard.com/ (accessed March 26, 2007)

• Hoben International. http://www.hoben.com/vermiculite/index.htm


http://www.hoben.com/vermiculite/index.htm (accessed March 2, 2007)

• Hindman, James R. 2006. Vermiculite: Industrial Minerals and Rocks: Commodities, Markets, and Uses. Society for
Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.

• K’s Chimney. http://www.kschimney.com/store/product.php?pid


http://www.kschimney.com/store/product.php?pid=333#pdetail
=333#pdetail (accessed February 28, 2007

• Kogel, Jessica E., Trividi, Nikhil C., Barker, James M., and Krukowski, Stanley T. 2006. Industrial Minerals and Rocks:
Commodities, Markets, and Uses. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.

• Potter, M. J., 2007. U. S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook-2005: U. S. Department of the Interior.
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vermiculite/vermimyb05.pdf (accessed February 13, 2007)

• Roy, R., and L.A. Romo. 1957. Weathering studies. 1. New data on vermiculite. Journal of Geology 65:603-610.

• Vermiculite Home Page for Information about Vermiculite---A Mineral with Many Uses: Naturally Occuring, Safe, and
Plentiful. http://www.vermiculite.net
http://www.vermiculite.net// (accessed February 13, 2007)

• The Vermiculite Association. http://www.vermiculite.org


http://www.vermiculite.org// (accessed February 13, 2007)

• Vermiculite (Hydrated Magnesium Iron Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide).


http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/vermicul/vermicul.htm (accessed February 26, 2007)

• Yanxi Minerals Co. Ltd. http://www.chinavermiculite.com


http://www.chinavermiculite.com// (accessed March 2, 2007)

• 77 Hydro. http://77hydro-store.stores.yahoo.net/med038.html (accessed February 28, 2007)

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