Where does vermiculite come from?

Vermiculite forms by the weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite. Large commercial vermiculite mines currently exist in the United States, Russia, South Africa, China, and Brazil.

Where is vermiculite found?

It is found in various parts of the world including Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Kenya, Russia, South Africa, Uganda, USA and Zimbabwe. Vermiculite is mined using open cast mining techniques where the ore is separated from other minerals and then screened or classified into several basic particle sizes.

What is vermiculite made out of?

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral (magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate) that is mined in various countries around the world, including the USA and South Africa. It gets its name from the Latin 'vermiculare', which means to breed worms, and the English suffix 'ite' which mean mineral or rock.

How vermiculite is produced?

Vermiculite is typically formed by the alteration of biotite, and it occurs both as large pseudomorphs replacing biotite and as small particles in soils and ancient sediments. It is also formed at the interface between acidic intrusive rocks and basic rocks such as pyroxenites and dunites.

What are the dangers of vermiculite?

By not disturbing the vermiculite, you are reducing your chances for exposure to asbestos. If vermiculite is disturbed, it could cause tiny, needle-like asbestos fibers to become airborne. Asbestos in the air can be inhaled and cause lung damage. If asbestos is not in the air, it is not dangerous to your lungs.

What is Vermiculite? | The Home Depot

Is there still asbestos in vermiculite?

Vermiculite and gardening use

An EPA study showed some vermiculite products contain low levels of asbestos. Asbestos is found primarily in the unmixed vermiculite product although some was found in pre-mixed potting soils. For consumers using vermiculite on an infrequent basis the health risk is low.

How can you tell if vermiculite has asbestos?

How can I tell if my vermiculite insulation contains asbestos? The majority of all vermiculite insulation pro- duced before 1990 used contaminated vermicu- lite from Libby. Asbestos fibers in vermiculite are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Only a trained technician using a microscope can see asbestos fibers.

Is vermiculite natural?

Like perlite, vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that expands when heated. Scientifically speaking, it's the name for a group of hydrated magnesium iron aluminum silicate minerals (phyllosilicates) that look like shiny, silvery gold to grayish brown flakes.

Where is vermiculite mined in the US?

Locations of the four major historical vermiculite ore sources (in bold) for the U.S. market including Libby, Montana; Louisa, Virginia; Enoree district, South Carolina; and Palabora, South Africa.

Does vermiculite come from volcanoes?

Vermiculite deposits are associated with volcanic ultramafic rocks rich in magnesium silicate minerals, and flakes of the mineral range in color from black to shades of brown and yellow. The crystal structure of vermiculite contains water molecules, a property that is critical to its processing for common uses.

Is vermiculite eco friendly?

Providing the vermiculite is used and handled in accordance with the suppliers' recommendations, it can be used in a safe and environmentally friendly way. As with all other materials it isimportant to adopt normal good working practices and to comply with local and national regulatory requirements.

What is better perlite or vermiculite?

Both perlite and vermiculite have neutral pH levels and retain water well. Vermiculite, however, has a reputation for holding a greater amount of water than perlite does. Therefore, perlite would be a better choice for desert climates where succulents grow or for plants like rhododendrons that require less moisture.

What is a good substitute for vermiculite?

How is vermiculite extracted from the earth?

Vermiculite ore is mined using open-pit methods. Beneficiation includes screening, flotation, drying in rotary or fluid bed dryers, and expansion by exposure to high heat. All mined vermiculite is dried and sized at the mine site prior to exfoliation. Figure 11.28-1 is a process flow diagram for vermiculite processing.

Is there a vermiculite shortage?

Vermiculite – Vermiculite (and to a lesser degree, perlite) is a challenge even during normal times due to the fact that production is a challenge. We anticipate extreme shortage of the material this year, with total unavailability for the first half of the year a real possibility.

Is vermiculite still mined?

Large commercial vermiculite mines currently exist in the United States, Russia, South Africa, China, and Brazil.

Is vermiculite hazardous waste?

It's non-reactive & non-flammable: When exposed to nearly all chemicals, verm does not break down, dissolve, or emit harmful gases and will not create a hazardous situation for the shipper. It's also flame-retardant and is resistant to fire.

Is vermiculite made from mica?

2.2 Vermiculite. Vermiculite is a mica, a hydrated, magnesium–iron–aluminum trioctahedral sheet silicate of varied composition. Its basic unit is two tetrahedral silicate sheets interlayered by an octahedral sheet that contains aluminum and iron (Grim 1962).

Is vermiculite naturally organic?

Is vermiculite organic? Vermiculite can be organic, but it is not always organic. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that humans mine, heat up, and package for gardeners to use. When the mining and processing is done organically, vermiculite is organic.

Is gardening vermiculite safe?

Is Vermiculite Safe to Use in Organic Gardening? Vermiculite is a natural substance that is odorless, non-toxic, and does not deteriorate over time, making it an excellent choice for organic farming.

Can vermiculite be composted?

Potting Mixes

Vermiculite is used in potting compost to obtain a very light open compost that holds more water and facilitates re-wetting, thereby lengthening the time between watering.

What happens if you breathe in asbestos once?

It is possible to develop an illness such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, pleural effusions or lung cancer after a one-time exposure to asbestos if the exposure was significant enough to lead to asbestos particles lodging in the body's tissues. The 9/11 attack is a common example.

When did they stop using vermiculite insulation?

The vermiculite from Libby is part of the longest man-made environmental disaster in American history. It was mined there for more than 50 years, ending in 1990. The insulation, which was known by the brand name Zonolite, is most often found in residential attics.

How do you get rid of vermiculite?

Can I remove the vermiculite attic insulation myself? The EPA strongly recommends that "you should never attempt to remove the insulation yourself. Hire professionals trained and certified to safety remove the material."