Pyrophyllite: An Economic Mineral for Different Industrial Applications

Abstract

Pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2) is a phyllosilicate often associated with quartz, mica, kaolinite, epidote, and rutile minerals. In its pure state, pyrophyllite exhibits unique properties such as low thermal and electrical conductivity, high refractive behavior, low expansion coefficient, chemical inertness, and high resistance to corrosion by molten metals and gases. These properties make it desirable in different industries such as refractory; ceramic, fiberglass, and cosmetic industries; as filler in the paper, plastic, paint, and pesticide industries; as soil conditioner in the fertilizer industry; and as a dusting agent in the rubber and roofing industries. Pyrophyllite can also serve as an economical alternative in many industrial applications to different minerals as kaolinite, talc, and feldspar. To increase its market value, pyrophyllite must have high alumina (Al2O3) content, remain free of any impurities, and possess as much whiteness as possible. This paper presented a review of pyrophyllite’s industrial applications, its important exploitable properties, and the specifications required for its use in industry. It also presents the most effective and economical techniques for enriching low-grade pyrophyllite ores to make them suitable for various industrial applications.

Chemical and Mineralogical Characterization of Saudi-Pyrophyllite ore and its Potential Applications

“…• Also, it is used to make tile refractories, cementfired bricks, fired brick-roofing, and special refractories. (Ali et al ,2021;Chen et al ,2017;Shayakhmetov et al, 2018;Shymanskaya, Dyatlova, and Popov, 2019;Truong et al ,2018)…”

“…• Ceramic products containing pyrophyllite include tiles, sanitary ware, white ware, and electrical components (e.g., insulators, vacuum gaskets, resistors, and transducers). (Ali et al ,2021;Chatterjee ,2009;González-Miranda et al, 2018;Kairakbaev, Abdrakhimov et al, 2021;Kurnia et al, 2020;Mukhopadhyay et al, 2010) Fiber glass • Pyrophyllite is used as an alternative to feldspar in the glass industry as a source of aluminum. • Also, it is used to prepare fiberglass batches.…”

“…Pyrophyllite is a phyllosilicate mineral comprised mainly of aluminum silicate hydroxide [Al 2 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2 ] and is commonly found with other minerals such as talc and kaolinite, rutile, epidote, quartz, and mica (Abdrakhimova, 2010;Ali et al ,2021;Jeong et al, 2017;Kogel et al,2006)that will facilitate preparation of high quality acid-resistant materials.…”

“…It shows low electrical and thermal conductivity; low expansion; high refractive behavior; natural hydrophobicity; platy structure; inertness; low bulk density; low hot-load deformation; and high corrosion resistance to molten metal and gases (Zelazny and White ,2018). This mineral is widely used in refractory, ceramic, fiberglass, paper, paint, plastic, pesticide, fertilizer, rubber, roofing, and building material industries (Table1) (Ali et al, 2021;Harben ,2002;Jena et al ,2015;Pradhan et al, 2015) ceramics and tile quality. We carried out the characterization of a pyrophyllite ore sample using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).…”

“…Furthermore, pyrophyllite has a lower expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient compared with other clay minerals. Therefore, it is suitable for refractory applications (Das and Mohanty, 2009;Dolley ,2013) .As a clay mineral, pyrophyllite can substitute kaolinite minerals in different industrial applications, such as ceramic, pottery, and filler industries, because kaolinite minerals are rapidly depleting and expensive (Ali et al, 2021;Mukhopadhyay, Ghatak, and Maiti ,2010;Pérez-Maqueda et al ,2004) thermal expansion, infrared spectroscopy, DTA, XRD and SEM studies were also employed to understand the pyro-chemical properties of the specimen at different temperatures. The results indicate that the specimen contains pyrophyllite as major phase with sericite, quartz and diaspore as minor phases.…”