Application and Uses

Agriculture/Horticulture

• Growing medium
• Holds water and nutrients, releases as required
• It is also used as a water retention product for plants.
• Excellent for root cutting.
• Sterility prevents ‘damping off’ during transplanting

Construction

• Insulating and lightweight properties allow for applications in:
• Loose fill insulation in masonry construction and attics
• Loose fill in hollow cavities reduces noise transmission
• Lightweight aggregate for fire insulation concretes
• Manufacture of passive fire protection products
• Fire resistant building boards
• Chimney Lining

Industrial

• Ease of bonding with other materials(friction linings)
• Absorbent, suitable for packing of hazardous materials
• High temperature insulation, hot plates
• Hot topping to prevent loss of heat
• Paint additive to improve flame retardancy

Packaging

Vermiculite is widely used as a packaging medium. Not only is it lightweight, clean and easily poured around irregular shaped objects, it also acts as a baffle against shocks caused by impact and improper handling. Being highly absorbent, it safely retains leaks from packed materials such as hazardous liquids. As an inorganic mineral, it does not present any fire hazard.

Insulation

Exfoliated Vermiculite is well established as an excellent thermal insulating material capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 1000°C. The free flowing properties of loose-fill Vermiculite make installation very simple in applications such as loft insulation. The insulating properties of Vermiculite significantly reduce the loss of heat in cold weather and keep the interior cool in hot weather. Vermiculite is clean to handle, nonabrasive, sound absorbent, resistant to decay, odorless and non-irritant.

Horticulture

Medium Grade Vermiculite will dramatically improve drainage when added to heavy soils. Fine Grade combined with peat forms excellent seed growing compost. When Vermiculite is used with fertilizers, it makes them more efficient, releasing more nutrients and therefore making them more economical.

Construction

• Acoustic finishes
• Air setting binder
• Board
• Fire protection (internal/external)
• Floor & roof screeds (lightweight Insulating concrete)
• Gypsum plaster
• Loft insulation
• Sound deadening compounds
• Swimming pool bottom layering

Horticultural

• Blocking mixes
• Hydroponics
• Micro-propagation
• Potting mixes
• Rooting cuttings
• Seed germination
• Seedling wedge mix
• Sowing composts
• Twin scaling bulbs

Agricultural

• Animal feed
• Anti-caking material
• Bulking agent
• Fertilizer
• Pesticide
• Seed encapsulant
• Soil conditioner