VERMICULITE

Updated 04-May-2020.

Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about VERMICULITE!

Grace readies $3 billion for asbestos victims: Seven years ago last week, W.R. Grace & Co. filed for bankruptcy protection against 112,000 lawsuits filed on behalf of people who had been sickened or killed because of exposure to asbestos in vermiculite mined, manufactured or sold by the company. Grace said it will create an irrevocable trust and set aside at least $2.9 billion to pay the settlements because “we want to get on with business,” said William Corcoran, Grace’s vice president of public and regulatory affairs How the money will be doled out has not been announced. […] it is uncertain how much each of the 120,000 cases already filed — and the unknown, but undoubtedly large surge of new cases that will flood the courts — will finally receive. Last month, the Justice Department announced that Grace had agreed to pay a record-setting $250 million to reimburse the federal government for the costs of the investigation and cleanup of asbestos contamination in Libby. In February 2005, Grace and seven of its current or former executives were indicted on federal charges that they knowingly put their workers and the public in danger through exposure to vermiculite ore contaminated with asbestos from the company’s mine.

Vermiculite Insulation Containing Asbestos : OSH Answers: What is vermiculite? Is all vermiculite a health concern? What are the health risks of vermiculite containing asbestos?

My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: commercial furnaces can routinely produce this effect . large commercial vermiculite mines exist in Russia, South Africa, China, and Brazil . it’s name is from Latin vermiculare, to breed worms it occurs in carbonatites and metamorphosed magnesium-rich limestone . Associated mineral phases include: corundum, apatite, serpentine, and talc . it is a limited-ex exfoliated vermiculite is added to a calcium silicate slurry . this is then dewatered by pressing or by using one of the Fourdriner/Magnani/Hatschek processes to vermiculite is an appropriate choice for use in brake linings . its properties include its thermal resistance, ease of addition to other raw materials . roof and floor screeds and insulating concretes: exfoliated vermiculite, alone or mixed with soil or peat, is used to germinate seeds; very little watering is required . vermicullite is also used as a growing medium for hydroponics . vermiculite acts as a regulator that prevents mildew and moisture fluctuation . it will not absorb moisture from the inside of stored tubers, but it does take up free water from the outside, preventing storage vermiculite treated with a water repellent is used to fill pores and cavities of masonry construction . as loose-fill insulation, it is also used to enhance fire ratings . where native soil is heavy or sticky, gentle Expanded vermiculite has been used as thermal insulation in attics and walls of houses . more and more use is being made of pre-batched, proprietary mixes . vermiculite mixes are used in industries including iron/steel, cement, and hydrocarbon processing . as a constituent of a coating: vermicuslite dispersions are typically either chemically or physically very fine vermiculite is a packing material, valued for its high absorbency . as a substrate for various animals and/or a medium for incubation of eggs. exfoliated vermiculite is used in both hand and spray-applied general building plasters . as an additive to fireproof wallboard. as a component of the interior fill for firestop pillows, along with graphit crude vermiculite exfoliates immediately and forms an insulating layer . used to permit slow cooling of hot pieces in glassblowing, lampwork, steelwork, and glass beadmaking. used in AGA cookers as insulation. Used in explosives storage as a blast mitigant. Used to absorb hazardous liquids for solid disposal. used in gas fireplaces to simulate embers. south africa’s production is decreasing, while Brazil’s is significantly increasing . some vermiculite exfoliators specialize, with proprietary products sold in a wide variety of industries . ingredients for these products all have to meet string in the past, vermiculite from the W. R. Grace mines in Montana, have been associated with asbestos . therefore, old spray-applied fireproofing, pre-1991, may contain small quantities of asbestos former vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, did have tremolite asbestos, winchite and richterite . it was formed underground through essentially the same geologic processes as the contaminants the Libby mine may have produced 80% of the world’s supply of vermiculite . homes or structures known to contain the “Zonolite” brand may contain asbestos . asbestos has led to cancers such over 400 people in Libby have died from asbestos-related disease . vermiculite mining from nearby Zonolite Mountain exposed people to asbestos dust . EPA made cleanup of the site a priority . the EPA has spent $120 million in Superfund money on cleanup . the u.s. government is also pursuing criminal charges against several former executives . they are accused of obstructing the government’s cleanup the EPA issued a public health emergency in and near Libby . the emergency allowed federal agencies to provide funding for health care . EPA removed contaminated insulation from affected homes .