What is vermiculite

Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral. It undergoes significant expansion when heated. Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is heated sufficiently, and the effect is routinely produced in commercial furnaces.

Perlite may also be found in potting soils, but vermiculite is far superior for water retention. Look at the photos on this website and then look at the insulation without disturbing it. The following photographs show typical vermiculite insulation. The color of vermiculite is a golden brown to a dark brown and is a sometimes difficult to tell from the potting soil it’s mixed with. When water is added to vermiculite , the flakes expand into a worm-like shape and act like an absorbing sponge.

The smallest size of vermiculite is best used to germinate seeds. Video: How to mix vermiculite with your compost. It’s already in our ready-made composts – the shiny material is vermiculite. It’s easy to add it to your home-made compost too. Many who used vermiculite for gardening may be a bit worried about recent health scares related to vermiculite.

Look up the word “ vermiculite ” in Henry Beard and Roy McKie’s hilarious “A Gardener’s Dictionary” and you’ll see it defined as an “obscure order of nuns devoted to gardening. Libby, Montana Sow seeds indoors in a cell tray, placing two or three seeds in each and covering with vermiculite. History and Etymology for vermiculate. Latin vermiculātus marked with wavy lines, from vermiculus insect larva,. I have always thought vermiculite was the most marvelous natural.

All vermiculite ores contain a range of other minerals that were formed along with the vermiculite in the rock. The vermiculite obtained from many mines contains asbestos , so vermiculite use was discontinued. In the case of vermiculite , very little watering is required. It helps the roots of the young plants to anchor and grow.

The largest vermiculite mining operation in the world is located in the Phalabowra (also sometimes spelled Palabora) district of the Republic of South Africa. For vermiculite mixes here is the page dealing with heat resistant insulation applications including how to make own vermiculite based light weight concrete. Flakes of raw vermiculite concentrate are micaceous in appearance and contain interlayer water in their structure. When the flakes are heated rapidly at a temperature above 870° C, the water flashes into steam, and the flakes expand into accordionlike particles. The life expectancy is approximately 7-10-years.

It provides cushioning for delicate objects to prevent impact and shock during shipping and handling. Used for plants that want the soil to stay more on the damp side and not dry out. It will absorb three to four times its volume in water, keeping the soil moist and a tad heavier.

Mixing perlite with vermiculite makes it a more balanced media. Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a 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. The insulation, which was known by the brand name Zonolite, is most often found in residential attics. CoCa CoLa Cans أفضل من أي وقت مضى - Duration: 8:39.

The EPA says that vermiculite insulation, which is the pebbly stuff found in attics of many older homes, is only risky if it contains more than percent asbestos. That’s good news, because most Zonolite, a vermiculite insulation, falls into that category. It is a light-weight mater that is fire resistant, absorbent, and odorless.

Perlite is a volcanic rock mined in the United States, as well as other countries like China, Greece, and Italy. The volcanic glass, or perlite, is formed when lava (molten rock) spews out of a volcano, and cools in a rapid manner. Other hydroponic growing mediums include Rockwool , Clay pellets , Coconut fiber , and Perlite.

It has a shiny appearance to it much like mica. When heate vermiculite expands exponentially. It is commonly formed from the source of mica named biotite. It is particularly helpful for square foot, container, and raised bed gardens. I’ve known that vermiculite insulation can contain asbestos, and my advice to homeowners has always been to assume it contains asbestos and leave it alone, which is also the advice of the EPA.

Sizes of vermiculite products range from very fine particles to large (coarse) pieces nearly an inch long. In fact, the term vermiculite itself references this characteristic. The latin word vermiculare means to breed worms, and the suffix ite means mineral or rock. Horticultural vermiculite is a natural ‘wicking’ mineral. In its natural form, it looks very much like mica.

Its structure is composed of layered plates that are hinge which turns out to be key in the manufacture of horticultural-type vermiculite. So it is important to know the difference between perlite and vermiculite so that you are never influenced to do something that could ruin your gardening projects by incompetent store employees. As rooting mediums, they offer this same benefit.

Zonolite presents a health danger only because it was contaminated with tremolite, an asbestos-like mineral.