Attapulgite

Alternate Names: Atapulgite, Palygorskite, fullers earth

Oxide	Analysis	Formula
SiO2	55.95%	3.06
Al2O3	9.60%	0.31
MgO	9.90%	0.81
Fe2O3	6.20%	0.13
K2O	1.30%	0.05
Na2O	0.40%	0.02
CaO	2.15%	0.13
MnO	0.30%	0.01
TiO2	0.50%	0.02
H2O	11.10%	n/a
Oxide Weight		283.66
Formula Weight		319.08

Notes

A very fine highly water absorbent non-swelling clay material that imparts suspension, thixotropy and binding properties to bodies and suspensions. It is found in compact blocks in sedimentary rocks and looks like soil. It feels somewhat greasy smooth and the dried material is light in weight.

Unlike smectites and montmorillonites, attapulgites do not have a flat particle shape, they have rod-shaped particles. These are electrolytically charged, enabling them to function as shear-thinning thickeners and suspension agents (by forming a dispersing thixotropic lattice by a non-swelling mechanism).

The high degree of refining plus the dispersant adsorbed on the product determines the self-dispersing characteristics. Attapulgite deposits are found in Florida (Active Minerals, a notable manufacturer, has products that include Acti-gel, Min-u-gel & Forigel - these differ in the amount refining).

One popular use of this material is heat-treating granules to improve liquid absorption and hardness for cat litter. The Swiss cheese-like micro-structure gives them extraordinary capacity to absorb liquids.

Related Information

Links

Materials	Sepiolite
Materials	Acti-Gel 208
Materials	Min-u-gel
Materials	Bentonite Bentonite can make a clay body instantly plastic, only 2-3% can have a big effect. It also suspends slurries so they don't settle out and slows down drying.
Materials	Hectorite A sodium magnesium montmorillonite that burns much whiter than bentonite (because of lower iron content).
Materials	Palygorskite
Materials	Fuller's Earth
Minerals	Attapulgite, Palygorskite Attapulgite is a magnesium aluminum silicate clay of very fine particle size. It is also known as Fu
Typecodes	Generic Material Generic materials are those with no brand name. Normally they are theoretical, the chemistry portrays what a specimen would be if it had no contamination. Generic materials are helpful in educational situations where students need to study material theory (later they graduate to dealing with real world materials). They are also helpful where the chemistry of an actual material is not known. Often the accuracy of calculations is sufficient using generic materials.
URLs	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palygorskite Palygorskite at Wikipedia
URLs	https://acti-gel.com/acti-gel/ The unique properties of Acti-gel
URLs	http://activeminerals.com/PRODUCTS/ATTAPULGITE/ Attapulgite information page at ActiveMinerals.com
URLs	https://activeminerals.com/products/acti-gel-208/ Acti-Gel 208 Information page
URLs	http://www.sorptive.org/ Sorptive Mineral Institute for producers of absorbent clay mineral products

By Tony Hansen
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