Vermitek Solutions

Vermiculite can be found in potting soil or purchased by itself in four different sizes for gardening with vermiculite. Germinate seeds using the smallest size of vermiculite as a growing medium and the largest size for improved soil aeration. Vermiculite is generally a neutral 7.0 but is dependent upon the source from around the globe and its reaction is alkaline. It is very lightweight and mixes easily with other mediums. Using vermiculite as growing medium will also enable the plant to more easily absorb the ammonium, potassium, calcium and magnesium necessary for vigorous growth.

Use vermiculite alone or mixed with soil or peat for seed germination. This will allow seeds to germinate more rapidly. If vermiculite is used without soil, feed the seedlings a weak fertilizer solution (1 tablespoon of soluble fertilizer per 1 gallon of water) once the first leaves appear. Damping off is thwarted since vermiculite is sterile and the seedlings are easily removed without damage to the roots.
Add vermiculite to soil for conditioning and lightening either alone or in conjunction with peat or compost. This will accelerate the growth and promote anchorage for tender young root systems.

Hydroponic

Vermiculite is a popular hydroponic media favoured for its affordability. Vermiculite is very lightweight and sterile. It has excellent water retention and capillary action properties, which allows it to be fully hydrated simply by applying moisture from above or below.

Agriculture without soil?

It sounds like another hipster trend! In reality, soilless agriculture ( Hydroponic) is an agricultural method that enables a stable and sustainable food supply. It allows us to run high-yield grow operations in completely controlled indoor environments.

Why does that matter?

No need to use pesticides (less poison sprinkled on plants means healthier food and less cost).
Extreme decrease in water use (need 90% less than soil-based methods).
Flexibility in use ( indoors or outdoors).

When vermiculite used in hydroponics, it is often mixed with perlite if the media becomes too water logged. This improves aeration and drainage. In hotter climates vermiculite is often used by itself because of its higher water holding capacity. Vermiculite also tends to break down after a perod of time so is favoured for more short term crops such as lettuce.

Growers who use vermiculite usually have a system in place where they manually fill NFT growpots or cell trays with the media. A seed is then inserted into the top of the media and the pots and trays are placed into a propagation system like an Ebb and Flow table where they remain until the seedlings have emerged and are at a reasonable size for transplanting into the main growing system. The root system of the seedling holds the media together so individual root bound ‘plugs’ can be removed from the propagating cell trays and placed directly into the plant holes of an NFT gully if required. If NFT growpots are used, the media filled growpot is placed into the plant hole in the gully and the pot acts as additional support for the plant. The growpot also prevents light entering the gully which can promote algal growth.

Packaging

As vermiculite is lightweight, which limits extra costs related to weight-based shipping rates, compressible, and absorbent, it works as an excellent packaging material. It is widely used as a hazmat packing, as it acts as a completely inert absorbent and cushioning material. Vermiculite is also useful for shipping odd-shaped items or items that contain liquid. It is extremely absorbent and provides extra insurance for potential leakage and can help absorb shock during transport.

As previously mentioned, it is loose fill which allows for pourability around irregularly shaped objects. The exfoliated vermiculite does not decay, break down or emit odors.

Automotive

Vermiculite is used in the production of friction parts (e.g. brake linings, clutch discs, etc.), rubber seals and automotive paints and lacquers. Its wide application in automotive industry is due to its soft and porous structure and excellent acoustic absorption.It is also preferred as an additive in the fabrication of friction components owing to its unique ability to expand and resist at high temperatures

As a filler to friction articles, vermiculite has the following advantages over otherfillers- full conformity with health standards, asbestos-free, stable friction coefficient at elevated temperatures.

Silicate Bonded Shapes and Blocks

Pressed vermiculite block insulation can be used in high temperature kilns, furnaces, combustion plants, boilers, wood burning stoves and night storage heaters. It is becoming more widely accepted as an alternative for asbestos or man-made mineral fibre insulation. The units can vary from simple blocks to very intricate shapes designed to accommodate electrical elements, fixing screws, etc. Boards containing vermiculite being used to encase structural steel to provide fire protection

Vermiculite Plasters

Exfoliated vermiculite is used in general building plasters can be made with either gypsum or Portland cement and applied by hand or with a spraying machine to improve coverage, ease of handling, adhesion to a wide variety of substrates, fire resistance, and resistance to chipping/cracking/shrinkage. Being a non-abrasive aggregate, vermiculiteis well suited to spray application and the sprayed plasters can have an attractive decorative appearance. Vermiculite can also be combined with other aggregates such as perlite in plaster formulations. Finer grades of vermiculite can even be added to plasters that provide a base for swimming pools.

Other Industrial Applications

Chemical treatments can cause the layered structure of vermiculite to expand or delaminate, producing very high aspect ratio particles. Such dispersions play an important role in the coating of both organic and inorganic fibre products. This treatment substantially increases the thermal stability of fibres. A whole new family of vermiculite products can be generated by varying the chemical process. It is possible to produce flexible films, papers and coatings, and to make specialised additives for various industries.

Exfoliated Vermiculite