Fibers mainly composed of sepiolite minerals are called sepiolite mineral fibers. sepiolite is a magnesium rich silicate fiber mineral with a physicochemical formula of Mgo [Si12O30] (OH) 4 12 H2O. Four water molecules are crystalline water, the rest are zeolite water, and often contain small amounts of elements such as manganese and chromium.

Sepiolite has good adsorption, decolorization, thermal stability, corrosion resistance, radiation resistance, thermal insulation, friction resistance, and penetration resistance, and is widely used in drilling, petroleum, medicine, brewing, building materials, pesticides, fertilizers, rubber products, braking, and other fields.

The requirements for sepiolite mineral fibers in some fields are as follows:

The decolorization rate is ≥ 100%, the pulping rate is>4m3/t, and the dispersibility is fast, three times that of asbestos. The melting point is 1650 ℃, the viscosity is 30-40s, and it can naturally decompose without producing pollution. It is the second point of the national strongly advocated asbestos free plan, which has been fully applied abroad and is known as green mineral fiber.

advantage

1. Using sepiolite as a rubber product is pollution-free, with excellent sealing performance and higher acid resistance.

2. Brewing with sepiolite results in seven times more liquid decolorization and purification than asbestos.

3. Using sepiolite for friction has good elasticity, stable hardness dispersion, and a sound absorption rate 150 times that of asbestos. The friction sound is extremely low, and it is a high value-added raw material for export earnings.

Sepiolite fiber is a natural mineral fiber, which is a fibrous variant of sepiolite mineral and is called α- Sepiolite. According to experts, sepiolite, as a layered chain silicate mineral, has a 2:1 layered structural unit consisting of two layers of silicon oxygen tetrahedra sandwiched by a layer of magnesium oxygen octahedra. The tetrahedral layer is continuous, and the orientation of reactive oxygen species in the layer undergoes periodic reversal. The octahedral layers form channels arranged alternately between the upper and lower layers. The orientation of the channel is consistent with the fiber axis, allowing water molecules, metal cations, organic small molecules, etc. to enter it. Sepiolite has good heat resistance, ion exchange and catalytic properties, as well as excellent properties such as corrosion resistance, radiation resistance, insulation, and thermal insulation. Especially, the Si-OH in its structure can directly react with organic matter to generate organic mineral derivatives.

In its structural unit, the silicon oxide tetrahedra and magnesium oxide octahedra alternate with each other, exhibiting transition characteristics of layered and chain like structures. Sepiolite has unique physical and chemical properties, with a high specific surface area (up to 800-900m/g), a large porosity, and strong adsorption and catalytic abilities.

The application fields of sepiolite are also very extensive, and after a series of treatments such as purification, ultra-fine processing, and modification, sepiolite can be used as an adsorbent, purifying agent, deodorant, reinforcing agent, suspension agent, thixotropic agent, filling agent, etc. in industrial aspects such as water treatment, catalysis, rubber, coatings, fertilizers, feed, etc. In addition, the good salt resistance and high temperature resistance of sepiolite make it a high-quality drilling mud material used in petroleum drilling, geothermal drilling, and other fields.