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