VERMICULITE

Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with the application of heat. Vermiculite is a very versatile mineral because of its thermal stability and inertness. It is safe and clean to handle, easy to use, lightweight, odourless, maould resistant, non irritant, non toxic, not harmful to the environment and also steril due to the high temperature to which it is subjected in production.

Commercial uses

Brake linings: finer grades of exfoliated vermiculite are being used in brake linings primarily for the automotive market The properties of vermiculite that make it an appropriate choice for use in brake linings include its thermal resistance, ease of addition to other raw materials achieve a homogenous mix and its shape and surface characteristics.

Roof and floor screeds and insulating concretes: exfoliated vermiculite (typically the finer grades) can be added at site to Portland cement and other aggregates, rheological aids and water to produce roof and floor concrete screeds or lightweight concrete which have the benefit of being lightweight and insulating. In many cases vermiculite based roof screeds are often used in conjunction with other insulation materials such as polystyrene board to form a total roofing system. A bituminous binder can also be used with exfoliated vermiculite can to produce a dry, lightweight roof screed which has the advantages of low thermal conductivity, low moisture content and ease of placement by pouring from the bag and then tamping.

Soilless growing media: exfoliated vermiculite is combined with other materials such as peat or composted pine bark compost to produce soilless growing media for the professional horticulturalist and for the home gardener. These mixes promote faster root growth and gives quick anchorage to young roots. The mixture helps retain air, plant food and moisture, releasing them as the plant requires them.

Seed germination: either used alone or mixed with soil or peat, vermiculite is used to germinate seeds. Very little watering is required. When vermiculite is used alone, seedlings should be fed with a weak fertilizer solution when the first true leaves appear.

As loose-fill insulation: Exfoliated vermiculite treated with a water repellent is used to fill the pores and cavities of masonry construction and hollow blockwork to enhance fire ratings (e.g. Underwriters Laboratories Wall and Partition designs), insulation and acoustic performance.Coarse grades of exfoliated vermiculite can be used to insulate lofts and attics. Exfoliated vermiculite has the benefit of being easy to use with application consisting of pouring the vermiculite between the joists and then leveling.

Refractory/Insulation gunning and castable mixes: exfoliated vermiculite can be combined with high alumina (also known as calcium aluminate) cements and other aggregates such as expanded shale, clay and slate to produce refractory/insulation concretes and mortars.

As a packing material, valued for its high absorbency

As a substrate for various animals and/or incubation of eggs.

As a lightweight aggregate for plaster, proprietary concrete compounds, firestop mortar and cementitious spray fireproofing: Exfoliated vermiculite is used in both hand and spray applied general building plasters to improve coverage, ease of handling, adhesion to a wide variety of substrates, fire resistance, and resistance to chipping/cracking/shrinkage.