Sepiolite: A domestic mineral raw material for small and medium enterprises and environmental protection

Abstract

The paper presents the phases in the research of sepiolite - hydrated in fibrous magnesium silicate, and in the development of different products based on sepiolite, at the Institute of General and Physical Chemistry (IGPC). Also, a review on sepiolite world deposits, general properties and practical uses is given in the paper. An the IGPC sepiolite from the mine Golesh was investigated, concerning its uses in paints, as a pigment and rheological aditive; in the rubber industry, as an active filler; in sepiolite, papers, for purifying, waste gases in industry and homes and as a powder combined with sepiolite paper, to purify old transformer oils. It was concluded that a number of technologies based on sepiolite could be developed in small or medium industrial enterprises, which are of the strategic interest for Serbia, especially since domestic sepiolite deposites can be further developed and that some of these technologies are important in environment all protection