STUDY of CHEMICAL and PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of PERLITE and ITS APPLICATION in INDIA Mueena Samar1, Dr
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STUDY OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PERLITE AND ITS APPLICATION IN INDIA 1 2 Mueena Samar , Dr. Shweta Saxena 1Assistant Professor Department of Engineering Chemistry, Vedant College of Engineering and Technology, Bundi, Rajasthan,(India) 2 Asso. Prof. Department of Engineering Chemistry, Maa Bharti Girls College, Kota, Rajasthan,(India) ABSTRACT Perlite is not a trade name but a generic term for naturally occurring siliceous volcanic rock. The distinguishing feature which sets Perlite apart from other volcanic glasses is that when heated to a suitable point in its softening range, it expands four to twenty times of its original volume. Perlite is amorphous volcanic glass that has relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. Perlite is an industrial mineral and a commercial product useful for its light weight after processing. Perlite is a non-renewable resource. The world reserves of Perlite are estimated at 700 million tones. In 2011, 1.7 million tons were produced, mostly by Greece (500,000 t), United States (375,000 t) and Turkey (220,000 t). However, no information for China – a leading producer was available.[1] Perlite can be substituted for all of its uses. Substitutes include: Diatomite, Expanded clay, Shale Pumice, slag, Vermiculite.[2] The chemical composition of Perlite are: 70–75% Silicon Oxide: SiO2,12–15% Aluminum Oxide:Al2O3, 3–4% Sodium oxide: Na2O, 3–5% Potassium Oxide: K2O, 0.5-2% Iron oxide: Fe2O3, 0.2–0.7% Magnesium oxide: MgO, 0.5–1.5% Calcium oxide CaO 3–5% loss on ignition (chemical / combined water). Perlite is used in industries, agriculture, horticultural aggregate, vermiculite, refractory material, ladle topping, building construction products, fillers, filter aid and used in hot tops and risers. This paper summarizes the study of chemical and physical properties of Perlite and its application in India. Keyboard: Perlite, volcanic glasses, non-renewable resource, Vermiculite, refectories material, ladle topping. I. INTRODUCTION The name of Perlite is a derivation from ―Perl stein‖ originally given ―to certain glassy rocks with numerous concentric cracks, from the fancied resemblance of broken fragments to pearls[2] Petro graphically, Perlite can be described as a glassy, volcanic rock having a pearl- like luster and usually exhibits numerous concentric cracks that cause it to resemble an onion skin in appearance. Chemically, crude Perlite is essentially a Meta 70 | P a g e stable amorphous aluminum silicate. Commercially, the term ―Perlite‖ also includes the expanded product. [3] A typical Perlite sample is composed of 71 to 75 percent silicon dioxide, 12.5 to 18.0 percent alumina, 4 to 5 percent potassium oxide, 1 to 4 percent sodium and calcium oxides, and trace amounts of metal oxides. Crude Perlite ore is mined, crushed, dried in a rotary dryer, ground, screened, and shipped to expansion plants. Horizontal rotary or vertical stationary expansion furnaces are used to expand the processed Perlite ore. Perlite is amorphous volcanic glass that has relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. Perlite is an industrial mineral and a commercial product useful for its light weight after processing. Perlite is a non- renewable resource. Perlite is a versatile and sustainable mineral that is mined and processed with a negligible impact on the environment. The green community recognizes Perlite-enhanced products as a high-performance solution drawn from a natural material of nearly unlimited supply throughout the world. Perlite comes from different kinds of rocks. Perlite is a glassy volcanic rock, gray and with a pearly shine on the rocks surface. It consists mostly of silica and has water molecules trapped within it. Vermiculite comes from 19 varieties of minerals and the ores contain silica, alumina, iron oxides and magnesium oxide. The expanding properties upon heating were observed by Thomas Webb in 1824, which heated ore over a candle and watched it turn into elongate forms that resembled worms. He named it vermiculite from the Italian word for worm, vermicular. Perlite in the natural state is a dense, glassy rock formed by volcanic action, which in the raw form contains about 3 % of crystal water and has a density of about 1,050 kg/m³. When rapidly heated to high temperature (1.000 °C) the water vaporizes instantaneously and the crushed Perlite "pops" like pop corn, expanding till 20 times its original volume. The resulting snow-white granules are composed of many tiny closed air cells or bubbles. They are very light in density, fully inert and neutral. The resultant cellular structure accounts for the lightweight and excellent thermal insulation properties. Due to the sealed nature of the cells, expanded Perlite has more strength and resists penetration of water to a greater extent than open celled aggregates of the same weight. Perlite insulation an inorganic product that does not support combustion, or rot, nor does it provides a habitat for rodents. It is ideal for use under concrete slabs, in chimneys and in high-temperature applications such as pizza ovens and rocket stoves. Fig-1 71 | P a g e Fig-2 Sources: Perlite come from glassy volcanic rock, gray and with a pearly shine on the rock's surface. It consists mostly of silica and has water molecules trapped within it. Manufacture: Perlite ores are heated to expand them into horticultural products. Crushed Perlite ore is rapidly heated to about 1472 to 1562 degrees Fahrenheit. The water trapped in the ore particles pops and expands, similar to popcorn, forming round glass bubbles within the particles. Perlite can expand up to 15 times its original volume. The expansion is called exfoliation, and is thought due to the sudden escape of water in the shape of steam. Chemical properties: The chemical composition of Perlite are: 70–75% Silicon Oxide:SiO2,12–15% Aluminium Oxide:Al2O3,3–4%Sodiumoxide:Na2O,3–5%Potashium Oxide: K2O,0.5-2% Ironoxide:Fe2O3,0.2– 0.7% Magnesium oxide:MgO,0.5–1.5% Calcium oxide CaO 3–5% loss on ignition (chemical / combined water). Table-1 Typical chemical properties of Perlite Element composition, % Chemical composition, % Silicon Si 33,8 Silicon dioxide SiO2 72,08 Aluminium Al 7,2 Alumina Al2O3 12,92 Titanium Potassium K 3,5 TiO2 0,90 dioxide Sodium Na 3,4 Iron oxide Fe2O3 1,50 Magnesium Iron Fe 0,6 MgO 0,63 oxide Calcium Ca 0,6 Quick lime CaO 0,88 Magnesium Mg 0,2 Caustic soda Na2O 3,76 Potassium Mica - 0,2 K2O 4,33 oxide Oxygen O 47,5 Bound water H2O 3,0 Characteristic property of Perlite is that if subject to rapid heating of 900 to 1.200°C it increases its volume 4 to 20 times. This happens because Perlite includes the bound water which extends during heating according to a 72 | P a g e well-known popcorn effect and adopts the form of a porous swollen material. The size of swollen pellets varies between 1 and 10 mm, with apparent density of 75 to 150 kg/m3. Table-2Typical Values after Expansion Lose Weight 35 - 45 kg/m³ Density: Tamped Weight 55 - 60 kg/m³ Density: Color: White Free Quartz: < 0.5 % Mechanical 0.6 - 1.51 Resistance: kg/cm²/cm Thermal 0.034 - 0.042 Conductivity λs = W/(m.K) Softening point: 890 - 1100 °C Fusion point: 1280 - 1350 °C Specific heat: 0.20 Specific gravity: 2.2 - 2.4 Perlite is non- Fire resistance: combustible II. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Perlite Rock structures are Classical rock and Moisture- max. 1 % present in Perlite. Perlite softens when it reaches temperatures of 850–900 °C (1560-1650 °F). Water trapped in the structure of the material vaporizes and escapes, and this causes the expansion of the material to 7–16 times its original volume. The expanded material is a brilliant white, due to the reflectivity of the trapped bubbles. Unexpanded ("raw") Perlite has bulk density around 1100 kg/m3 (1.1 g/cm3), while typical expanded Perlite has a bulk density of about 30–150 kg/m3 (0.03-0.150 g/cm3). Physical properties of Perlite that are exploited commercially include its chemistry (Si, Al); state (alkaline, inert, and hydrated); habit (amorphous, fibrous) and physical behavior (thermal insulator, low density and porosity) — as summarized below: Fig-3 73 | P a g e Table-3Typical physical properties of Perlite S.No. Property Value 1 Color White/Grey 2 Brightness, % GE 70-80 3 Apparent density, kg/m3 50-300 4 Hardness index (Mohs) 5,5 5 Specific Gravity 2.2 – 2.4 6 pH 6 - 8.5 7 Water absorption, % of mass 200-600 8 Ability to absorb oils, gram of oil per gram of 50-100 Perlite 9 Melting point, C° 980 10 Burn losses (3 hours under t of 900°C), % up to 1,5 11 Humidity, % up to 1,0 12 Maximum strength, MPa up to о 6,0 13 Porosity, % 70-85 14 Portion of air, % 80-95 15 Thermal conductivity, W/mK 0,043-0,093 16 Thermal diffusivity, m2/sec 0,632-0,330 III. APPLICATION OF PERLITE Perlite is a non-renewable resource. The world reserves of Perlite are estimated at 700 million tons In 2011, 1.7 million tons were produced, mostly by Greece (500,000 t), United States (375,000 t) and Turkey (220,000 t). However, no information for China – a leading producer – was available[1]Starting 2003, Greece was a leader in processed Perlite production; however, estimates of Perlite production from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2013 indicate that US may have overtaken Greece[2].