Extremely versatile and valuable, Attapulgite is a long-standing important industrial mineral which is widely used across applications as diverse as coatings, oil and gas, construction, agriculture and more.
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How do you take a mineral so unique and powerful, and make it even better? Introducing, Min-U-Gel®.
The Min-U-Gel® range of products from Active Minerals has revolutionised how this naturally occurring mineral is used, precisely engineered to enhance performance and cater to the changing demands of specific industries.
In this blog, we&#;ll explore why Min-U-Gel® are market-leading products at the forefront of innovation and why they are a staple in sealants, coatings and many other liquid applications.
But first, let&#;s start from the beginning.
Attapulgite is a natural clay mineral composed of magnesium aluminium silicate, found in deposits around the world. It&#;s characterised by its unique needle-like crystal structure which gives it the ability to form intricate networks and 3D gel structures, enabling it to control fluid dynamics, enhance viscosity, and stabilise formulations.
This distinctive structure is responsible for its extraordinary rheological and adsorption properties. Hence, it&#;s incredibly effective in applications where thickening, suspension or stabilisation is needed and similarly, where the adsorption of impurities of toxins is required.
Attapulgite&#;s versatility as a naturally occurring clay makes it a go-to material for industries seeking efficiency, stability, and performance across a spectrum of applications.
Min-U-Gel® minerals are rheology modifiers with thixotropic thickening, derived from attapulgite clay. They are a specially processed range of colloidal gelling agents in powdered form, prepared in fine particle sizes.
What sets Min-U-Gel® apart isn&#;t just the utilisation of attapulgite, but the meticulous engineering and formulation processes that have transformed each agent into a high-performance product suitable for a myriad of applications.
This means they are incredibly versatile and adaptable to the needs of each industry. For example, where its ability to control fluid loss and increase viscosity helps to improve drilling fluid efficiency within the oil & gas sector, its ability to enhance binding and adhesion properties makes it a useful additive for construction materials.
With a unique molecular structure, Min-U-Gel® can help shape the efficiency and performance of various products and processes, with some of the key benefits including:
Above all else, one of the major characteristics of Min-U-Gel® attapulgite minerals is their ability to function as thickeners, stabilisers, and viscosifiers. The needle-like structure of attapulgite particles enables them to create a three-dimensional gel network, providing stability and enhancing the viscosity of fluids in any application.
Now we know what gives Min-U-Gel® minerals the competitive edge, how do these qualities translate into real-life applications? As mentioned earlier, they can be used for a multitude of products and processes, but here are some of the most common.
Min-U-Gel® is widely used in both aqueous and solvent-based paint and coating systems. As a versatile rheology modifier, it has powerful capabilities in influencing the stability of formulations and contributing to enhanced performance of these materials in various applications.
Paints and coatings
Added to coatings and paints, Min-U-Gel® provides control over rheological properties. Its ability to transition from high to low viscosity under different shear rates ensures stable formulations during storage and easy application, contributing to the overall quality of the coatings.
Adhesives and sealants
Min-U-Gel® ensures proper bonding and sealing characteristics. Its high viscosity at low shear rates allows for easy application without dripping, while its low viscosity at high shear rates ensures uniform spreading and effective sealing.
In construction, Min-U-Gel® can be used in the formulation of various dry powder texture coatings, wet-mixed and dry-mixed mortars, and functional putties to improve the effectiveness and performance of the solutions.
Dry powder texture coatings
Its ability to influence viscosity ensures that the coating maintains the desired consistency during application. This is crucial for achieving uniform textures on surfaces, enhancing the visual appeal of architectural finishes.
Mortars
By providing rheological control, Min-U-Gel® enhances the workability of mortars, making them easier to apply. Its adhesion-promoting properties contribute to the overall strength and durability of the mortar, ensuring a reliable bond with various construction substrates.
Functional putties
Whether used for filling gaps, smoothing surfaces, or as an adhesive agent, Min-U-Gel®&#;s rheological properties contribute to the uniformity and reliability of functional putties. This is particularly important in achieving desired finishes and ensuring the effectiveness of the putty in various construction scenarios.
Min-U-Gel® is a crucial contributor to the agricultural industry, often used to enhance soil quality, water retention and nutrient distribution for optimal crop growth.
Liquid animal feed & liquid suspension fertilisers
Min-U-Gel® works as an important thixotropic additive component, incorporated as an anti-caking agent in animal feed. By ensuring a controlled viscosity and preventing clumping, it helps to maintain the free-flowing nature of the animal feed to allow for better pumping and an even distribution.
Seed coatings
When added to seed coatings, Min-U-Gel® acts as an effective binding agent which helps to enhance adhesion, ensuring a uniform and stable coating on each seed. This helps the coating become resistant to attrition and provides a protective layer to help safeguard seeds against external factors.
Each product within the Min-U-Gel range is designed to cater to specific industrial needs, demonstrating the adaptability and performance enhancements derived from attapulgite.
This is a coarse-grade product typically used as a gelling and thickening agent in aqueous systems such as ceiling & wall texture compounds, ceiling tiles, plywood adhesives and tape joining compounds.
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Specially developed for binding molecular sieves, Min-U-Gel® MB has controlled mineral, coating and chemical properties needed for the production of high quality molecular services.
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Suitable for applications that require low residue, finer particle size and improved thixotropic and binding characteristics, Min-U-Gel® 300 is typically used as a binder in molecular sieves. It may also be used with associative thickeners where a low shear thixotrope is needed.
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This is one of the lowest additives used for controlling rheology, suspension and syneresis, and is therefore typically used in paints & coatings. It may also be used as a binder in molecular sieves and ceramic catalysts and may be used on its own or with a thickener in applications where low shear thixotropy is needed to support the thickener&#;s high shear thixotropy.
For more information, please visit Industrial Grade Attapulgite.
Click here to view the Technical Data Sheet
Used to thicken and stabilise liquid systems, control syneresis, and reduce pigment floating and flooding. Min-U-Gel® 500+ offers a finer particle size for enhanced suspension and syneresis control, designed to be effective in various coating formulations including solvent-based systems such as oil and alcohol.
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RBH are a trusted partner of Active Minerals, licensed to distribute their market-leading Min-U-Gel® product range. Our highly experienced team can provide expert advice and technical support on the product that is best suited to your requirements.
To make an enquiry or to find out more, please contact us online or give us a call on +44 (0) 161 938 and we will be happy to assist.
BackDiscovery, Naming, and Classification of Attapulgite
In , Russian scholar Tsavtchenkov first discovered this mineral in the hydrothermal alteration zone of the Palygorsk mining area in the Ural region.1 Soviet mineralogist A E. Fersman officially named the mineral palygorskite in . In , French scholar J. D. Lapparent also successively found this mineral in sedimentary rock in Attapulgus, Georgia; Quincy, Florida; and Mormoiron, France; and named it attapulgite. In , the World Clay Mineral Nomenclature Committee believed that palygorskite and attapulgite, which had the same crystal structure and chemical composition, belonged to the same mineral. According to the principle of naming priority, they were uniformly named palygorskite. In , Chinese scholar Xu Jiquan and others discovered the mineral in Xiaopanshan, Liuhe District, Nanjing, Jiangsu. Xu Jiquan translated its Chinese name into "attapulgite" based on the sound of Autebao and taking into account the crystal structure characteristics of the mineral. In , palygorskite was selected as a species name and attapulgite as a clay name with economic value after a thematic discussion organized by the first clay academic conference in China.2
In current practical applications, the classification of attapulgite clay is mainly based on its functions and uses. According to main functions, attapulgite clay can be divided into adsorption grade and gel grade (also called colloidal attapulgite clay). The former can be further subdivided according to specific purposes and used as adsorbents, desiccants, carriers, and so on. The latter can be further subdivided according to specific applications and used as binders, suspensions, thickeners, rheological regulators, reinforcing agents, and so on. The latter's resources are less distributed on Earth, and currently, large and high-quality mineral deposits that have been developed and utilized are mainly distributed in the border area between Georgia and Florida in the United States. Similar resources have also been discovered in the Mingguang area of Anhui Province in China, but the reserves are limited and mining is difficult.
Characteristics of Colloidal Attapulgite Clay
Colloidal attapulgite clay usually has a high magnesium oxide content, and its crystal is a trioctahedron, in which the octahedral position is occupied by Mg2+. Its crystal structure is close to the ideal attapulgite crystal structure, with few crystal defects, well developed rod, uniform length, and high-length-diameter ratio of rod crystals, and excellent hydration and electrolyte resistance. Therefore, it shows excellent colloidal properties, and is an ideal raw material for preparing high-performance inorganic gel.3
In addition to good bondness, the colloidal attapulgite clay with high purity and sufficient de-packaging also shows excellent thixotropic characteristics in many applications, such as shear thinning. This effect stems from its unique nanorod crystal structure and charging characteristics. Figure 1 (a) is a schematic diagram of the microstructure and charging characteristics of the attapulgite clay in Quincy, Florida. Its rod crystal length is concentrated between 1.5 and 2.5 μm. The diameter is concentrated at 20-30 nm, and the rod crystal morphology is highly uniform.
Combined with its unique charge distribution along the rod axis, it can form a highly uniform and stable three-dimensional cementation structure in water-based, many-suspension, and mixed systems. This structure is crucial for the formation, setting, and sustained stability of many products during production and storage processes. Due to the bonding between nanorod particles caused by surface weak electrical properties, this three-dimensional lattice structure can be quickly and easily broken when shear force is applied, thereby rapidly changing the rheological properties of the macroscopic system. After removing the shear, the original 3D lattice structure will be quickly restored. This process can be illustrated as shown in Figure 1 (b). This feature is highly beneficial for the production and construction processes of many products. Compared with montmorillonite and other clay minerals and macromolecular organic thixotropic agents, the thixotropy of colloidal attapulgite is much more sensitive and stable, and has a wide tolerance to acid, alkali, salt, enzyme, microorganism, temperature, etc. These enable it to play a unique role in many material systems that require high convective properties, such as high-performance coatings, sprayed concrete, 3D printing materials, color pastes, agricultural products, etc.
FIGURE 1 ǀ Schematic diagram of thixotropy of colloidal attapulgite clay.
Application Considerations of Colloidal Attapulgite Clay in Refractory Materials
At present, the application of colloidal attapulgite clay in foundry coatings is quite extensive. Some international foundry coating enterprises such as ASK, Vesuvius, Eurolove, etc. all use colloidal attapulgite clay as a main suspension agent and rheological regulator. Based on the characteristics of colloidal attapulgite, combined with its application experience in many other industries, and the product characteristics needs of different subdivision fields of refractory materials, it has good potential to play a unique role in refractory wet-spraying materials and thin-layer coatings, 3D-printed pre-fabricated parts and special-shaped functional ceramics, lightweight thermal insulation products, and some refractory products with special requirements.
Refractory Wet-Spraying Materials and Thin-Layer Coatings
In the system maintenance project of new dry-process clinker production lines, the construction of furnace lining refractory is the key to the whole maintenance process. Ensuring quality, reducing costs, and shortening construction periods are hot topics pursued by cement enterprises. Wet spraying is beneficial for achieving these goals and will become a widely used construction method in cement enterprises. Wet spraying is currently widely used in cement enterprises in the United States and various European countries. High-purity and fully disbanded colloidal attapulgite clay can be added in wet-spraying materials at extremely low dosages, as low as 0.1% to improve the pumpability and spraying performance of the material. It has a significantly positive effect on reducing pump and nozzle wear, reducing rebound of the spraying material, and enhancing the cohesion of the spraying coating. In this regard, the United States has mature application cases and data support, especially in the fields of sprayed concrete and high-temperature wet-sprayed materials. In recent years, it has become an important direction for the application of colloidal attapulgite clay in North America.
Colloidal attapulgite clay, combined with other soft clays and suitable additives, can be used in thin-layer coatings such as EPC coatings for casting, anti-corrosion coatings at certain high temperatures, insulation coatings, and anti-oxidation coatings. It can endow coatings with better plasticity, viscosity, and flexibility, thus facilitating the use of different coating methods such as spraying, manual or mechanical brushing, and impregnation to achieve uniform and firm adhesion to different substrates.
Prefabricated Components by 3D Printing and Special-Shaped Functional Ceramics
The 3D printing field, especially those products with fine structures, has put forward higher requirements for the rheological behavior of materials such as extrusion, shaping, and setting. Colloidal attapulgite clay as a high-performance, inorganic, low-shear thixotropy is very sensitive. It is easy to be extruded and shaped under shear and can quickly set when the shear is removed. This characteristic allows it to exert unique advantages in the production of 3D-printed products with complex structures. For some refractory profiles, the thixotropic lubrication effect and nanostructure bridging effect of colloidal attapulgite clay are also beneficial for early demolding of products and reducing the risk of microcracks in the material during the lower temperature heating stage of firing.
Lightweight Thermal Insulation Products
Colloidal attapulgite clay has good bonding properties and is widely used as an inorganic binder in various fields such as high-performance molecular sieves. Its bonding properties are different from other wet-swelling clays, such as bentonite. Colloidal attapulgite clay does not expand or dry shrink during the mixing process with water. Therefore, it is beneficial to maintain the volume stability of the block and board during wet compression forming and later curing processes. In addition, adding an appropriate amount of colloidal attapulgite clay can also improve the coating effect of inorganic cementitious materials, like refractory cement, on the surface of lightweight refractory aggregates, which is beneficial for reducing internal defects and increasing product strength.
Some Refractory Products with Special Requirements
In addition to its unique physical properties, the chemical composition of high-purity colloidal attapulgite clay is generally stable. For example, the typical chemical composition of colloidal attapulgite clay in the southeastern United States is SiO2 66.2%, Al2O3 12.1%, MgO 9.9%, CaO 2.8%, and Fe2O3 4.2%. Through scientific mining, blending, and modern processing techniques, its natural rod-shaped crystal bundles can not only be fully disbanded, but its chemical composition can also be maintained at a very stable level. Combining the unique nanorod crystal structure of attapulgite, it is believed to have potential applications in some refractory brick products with special requirements.
Conclusion
For refractory material workers, colloidal attapulgite clay may be relatively unfamiliar as an additive for obtaining and regulating properties. However, its unique characteristics and positive effects on rheological behavior and microstructure after addition are worth paying attention to. Actively carrying out trial and development work will reveal relevant mechanisms and help expand applications in some refractory materials.
References
1 Saftschekow T V. Palygorskit. Sankt Petersburg: Verhandlungen der Russisch kaiserlichen gesellschaft für mineralogie, : 102-104.
2 Xu Jiquan, Fang Yesen. Classification and name of clay minerals. Silicate Bulletin, 1 (3): 1-8, .
3 Xu J.; Wang W.; Mu B. et al. Effects of inorganic sulfates on the microstructure and properties of ion-exchange treated palygorskite clay. Colloid Surface A, 45:59-64, ,
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