A volcanic mineral when heated 800-900°C converts entrapped moisture into steam to expand the mineral 7-16 times its natural size. In the process perlite high porosity, lightweight and sterile free from harmful organisms is derived. Also commonly known as expanded perlite.
These expanded porous white granules and powder sizes are 0.15mm-2mm and have many usages in various fields.
Organic planting – As soil amendment perlite porosity absorb and retain moisture, nutrients and provides air to growing roots. It aerates soil, improves drainage and prevent soil compaction especially with composts. Recommended mix 20-30% to soil. Powder perlite prevents soil compaction, loams and fluff soil with light weight much preferred in roof top gardens or for big pots. Its fine particle sizes and increased surface areas, perlite powder is more accessible to root hairs uptake of plant nutrients. Mix 30% perlite powder with cocoa peat as potting mix. Ideal for terrarium cultivation planting on strata layers with fine washed silica sand silt free.
Perlite is added to clay, composted cow manure and seeds to mold seed bombs for self-generation in reforestation and permaculture practice.
Hydroponic use for plant roots aeration and anchorage. Act as a filtering medium too. Ideal as succulent planting medium with good drainage and aeration.
Toxic free and sterile perlite is often used in potting mix with cocopeat, soil less planting with wood chips, cocopeat and being lightweight is an ideal media as rooftop garden soil and large planting pots.
As a mulch in pots, perlite insulates soil temperature, prevents moisture loss and assist in microbes or earthworms propagation in a cool environment.
Vermiculture with cocopeat without harming worms as microbes thrives with aeration to feed worms. Perlite powder consumed by worms as a grit to aid digestion and propagation. It fluff soil, with porosity to retains moisture for microbes and improves drainage. Perlite addition is much preferred over sand in vermicomposting and vermiculture.
Industrial Use
As lightweight aggregates and insulation in premix mortar cement castings. Dry mix perlite 2-3 parts by volume to premix mortar before mixing in water. Adds texture in Shanghai finish with acid wash and lightness to cement castings.
Plaster sculpture in car designing and cement architecture would benefit in weight saving with perlite.
As non-degradable porous aggregates addition to cement in casting lightweight cement boats, canoe, planters and furnaces for better insulation.
Perlite use as filtering media in rain water conservation from roof top and gutters, similar use in aqua pond water treatment plants and aquarium. Food industries use in beer and oil filtering.
Insulation use casts as light weight bricks with cement or silicate binder as fire bricks. Furnace and oven insulation with cement or clay as pizza oven. Loose infill for masonary hollow block wall construction to conserve heat as ceramic kiln or as a roasting oven.
Craft Use
Annealing medium in knife and metal crafting by slowing down cooling when heated metal is buried in porous insulating perlite powder.
Same in metal enamelling to slowdown cooling of glass enamel on metal to avoid craze cracking.
Sculpture use in weight saving when kneaded with clay body adding texture to clay too.
Ceramic glaze and body formulation as a volcanic glass with high silica, calcium oxide, Potassium oxide and sodium oxide contents. Function as a low temperature flux softening point 850°C-1050°C and fusion point 1250°C-1350°C. Its soft porosity is easily ground with mortar and pestle into powder or use perlite powder in glaze formulation.
Floral drying with perlite powder and colloidal silica as both materials are absorbent and reusable with oven drying. As light weight buried delicate floral will not be deformed. In fact the flowers can be arranged buried and dried in original shape. Easy to dust off these perlite granular powders.
Soap making perlite porosity helps to absorb and retain essential oil and nourishing body oils. Its mixed grain sizes offer better scrub as an exfoliating soap.
A lightweight diorama material as snow, sea or river sand and other landscape materials.
Light scoring medium when mixed with water or oil as a polishing paste in etching and metal polish.
Expanded Volcanic Perlite Powder
Sieve analysis: 2.5mm (mesh 8) 0-5 % weight retained
1.2mm (mesh 16) 10-25%
0.6mm (mesh 30) 15-35%
0.3mm (mesh 50) 25-40%
0.15mm (mesh 100) 15-30%
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As a polish and tumbling for metal, craft jewelry and stones. A mild scoring abrasive.
Perlite’s porosity and ability to with stand heat is used for furnace insulation on the outside with ceramic fiber inside. Alternatively in cast insitu furnace with Multifilla premix mortar and perlite powder mix ratio by volume is 1 part Premix mortar to 2 parts perlite. Dry mix both before adding water. In plastering masonary construction with wire netting reinforcement reduce perlite to 1 part. Additives in Multifilla premix mortar gives added plastering plasticity and moisture retention for a strong cure. BBQ pits and stove cleanup is easier with a perlite base. Also insulate and prevent base heat loss especially in pizza oven. Mixed with clay it makes perfect traditional insulated pizza oven for wood firing or cast into refractory bricks with sodium silicate binder.
Taxidermy stuffing as lightweight and acid free unlike sawdust which can turn moldy.
Powder Grade sizes: 0.15mm-2.5mm
Density: 80-130kg/m3
PH: 6-7 neutral
Color: White with some specks
https://www.multifilla.com/catalogue/perlite/
