When transporting hazardous liquids and chemicals, precautions against possible leaks are very important. The material used must meet several requirements:
Non-flammable, absorbent, lightweight. The material itself must be in no way harmful to health, ideally reusable and disposable without burdening the environment. Vermiculite is a versatile granulate that is suitable for these purposes.

Lightweight, non-flammable and absorbent

And there really is a material that meets all these requirements. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring clay mineral that reliably absorbs liquids. Another advantage of the material is its safety: only materials that are completely harmless to health can be used in direct contact with food, animals and humans. The mineral can thus be used, for example, as cat litter, but also in vegetable growing and animal husbandry as a heat and moisture regulator.
Heat and moisture regulation: also a major topic in the construction industry. Vermiculite is therefore also often used as thermal insulation and fire protection. Another unbeatable advantage: Non-flammable – melting point at 1350°C, which indicates class A1 (no smoke, no flaming drops according to DIN 4102-1) and electronically non-conductive.

Vermiculite mining and production

There are currently 550 known sites worldwide, many in the USA, but there are also documented deposits in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Canada, Madagascar, Austria, Russia, Switzerland and South Africa. This raw material is heat treated at around 1000 °C. The rock layers are separated from each other and the moisture contained evaporates (exfoliation). This process produces small ‘worm-like’ formations (vermis = Latin for worm) which, due to their high air content (100 litres of granulate weighs about 9 kg), are also capable of absorbing moisture up to 5 times their own weight. Vermiculite granulate is usually composed of 38-46% silicon, 10-16% aluminium, 16-35% magnesium oxide, 5-13% iron oxide, 1-3% titanium oxide, 1-5% calcium oxide, 1-6% potassium oxide, 3-16% moisture and 1-2% other components.

Vermiculite in the transport of dangerous goods

Particularly in the transport of dangerous goods, strict standards apply. Vermiculite is approved as an absorbent material for hazardous cargo and, thanks to the above properties, performs its task with absolute reliability. The granulate is ideal as a filling and protective material. Vermiculite perfectly surrounds the liquid container and protects it from shocks and shocks. If the container is damaged, the liquid is absorbed without the liquid escaping from the box. We recommend lining the box with foil before filling. Liquid leakage due to the granulate is very unlikely with the relatively coarse grain size ( M grain size with a diameter of individual beads of about 4 mm), but low dustiness is possible.

Disposal of vermicutyl

If the container containing the hazardous liquid remains undamaged, the granulate can be reused. In the end, provided it has never come into contact with harmful substances, we can easily dispose of the vermiculite with household waste. We can also use it in the garden mixed with soil as a natural fertiliser.
Despite all the insurmountable advantages, we advise against filling your shoes with vermiculite before your autumn walk, however, when transporting hazardous liquids, we definitely recommend it.