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R12
by Z.D. Hora
Retired, British Columbia Geological Survey, Victoria, B.C., Canada
IDENTIFICATION
GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
DEPOSIT FORM: Perlite deposits are very irregular in shape, reflecting the
original extent of the glassy volcanic rock and the zones that have experienced
significant hydration. The boundaries are usually gradational from perlite to
obsidian to devitrified volcanic glass to a crystalline felsite core. Perlite deposits
are usually measured in hundreds of metres in horizontal dimensions and metres
to tens of metres in the vertical dimension. Big Pine deposit in California has a
perlite thickness of 27 metres; Picketpost Mountain in Arizona is 2 to 17 metres
thick. The No Agua Peaks deposit in New Mexico is considered the largest in North
America and is 50 metres thick, covering 10 square kilometres. The Socorro
perlite deposit in New Mexico is 200 metres thick and covers an area of 0.7
square kilometres.
ORE: Expandable hydrated siliceous volcanic glass. Most commercial perlites are
high silica rhyolites with 75 to 77.5% of SiO2. In a few countries, obsidian and
pitchstone are also expanded.
GANGUE MINERALOGY (Principal and subordinate): Non-hydrated obsidian,
devitrified glass, microlites or small phenocrysts of feldspar, mica and quartz;
sometimes with chalcedony and clay fracture filling.
COMMENTS: Petrological definition of perlite covers all glass with perlitic texture,
including the non-expanding varieties. The presence of crystalline silica is
considered as a potential health hazard, and the product has to be controlled and
handled accordingly. Some perlites are sensitive to decrepitation. This can be
controlled by preheating and by adjusting the temperature regime during the
expansion process.
EXPLORATION GUIDES
ECONOMIC FACTORS
ECONOMIC LIMITATIONS: Perlite is usually mined from open pits (the Caliente
deposit in Nevada is underground) and processed in expanding plants located in
market areas. Raw perlite is shipped by truck, or by rail and boat to more distant
processing plants. The average capacity of an expanding plant is about 10 000
tonnes per year. As a relatively large volume product, perlite products are
sensitive to transportation costs.
END USES: Crushed perlite is heated to between 900 and 1200C to create
steam in the molten rock that produces gas bubbles. The product is cooled to
form globules of artificial pumice. The light, fluffy globules are known
commercially as perlite and marketed with different brand names. They have a
porous texture with low density and thermal conductivity and high sound
absorption and chemical stability. Construction uses, such as insulation products
and acoustic tile, accounted for 66% of North American consumption in the late
1990s. Horticulture and a variety of fillers accounted for 19%, and filter aid
products make up the remaining 15%.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Austin, G.S. and Barker, J.M. (1994): Production and Marketing of Perlite in
the Western United States; in Tabilio. M. and Dupras, D.L., Editors, 29th Forum
on the Geology of Industrial Minerals: Proceedings, California Department of
Conservation, Special Publication 110, pages 39-68.
Barker, J.M., Chamberlin, R.M., Austin, G.S. and Jenkins, D.A. (1996):
Economic Geology of Perlite in New Mexico; in Hoffman, G. K., Barker, J. M.,
Zidek, J., and Gilson, N. [Editors], Proceedings of the 31st Forum on the Geology
of Industrial Minerals-The Borderland Forum, New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology, Bulletin 154, pages 165170.
Barker, J.M. and Bodycomb, F. (1996): Perlite Markets: Expanding Or Not?;
in notes for Industrial Minerals '96, conference in Toronto organized by Blendon
Information Services, October,19 pages.
Bolen, W.P. (2001): Perlite; in Mineral Industry Surveys, U.S. Geological
Survey, pages 56.156.7.
Chamberlin, R.M. and Barker, J.M. (1996): Genetic Aspects of Commercial
Perlite Deposits in New Mexico; in Austin G.S., Hoffman, G.K., Barker, J.M., Zidek
J. and Gilson, N., [Editors], Proceedings of the 31st Forum on the Geology of
Industrial Minerals The Borderland Forum, New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology, Bulletin 154, pages 171186.
Gunning, D.F. and McNeal & Associates Consultants Ltd. (1994): Perlite
Market Study; BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Open File
1994-21, 44 pages.
Friedman, I., Smith, R.L. and Long, W.D. (1966): Hydration of Natural Glass
and Formation of Perlite, Geological Society of America, Bulletin, Volume 77,
pages 323328.
Harben, P.W. and Kuzvart, M. (1996): Industrial Minerals. A Global Geology,
Metal Bulletin PLC, London, UK, 462 pages.
Rotella, M. and Simandl, G.J. (2003): Marilla Perlite Volcanic Glass
Occurrence, British Columbia; in Geological Fieldwork 2002, B.C. Ministry of
Energy and Mines, Paper 2003-1, pages 165174.
Thompson, B., Brathwaite, B. and Christie, T. (1995): Pumice; in Mineral
Wealth of New Zealand; Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited,
Information Series 33, page 133.
White, G.V. (2001): Perlite in British Columbia; in Dunlop, S. and Simandl, G.,
Editors, Industrial Minerals in Canada, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy
and Petroleum, Special Volume 53, pages 5965.
Whitson, D.N. (1982): Geology of the Perlite Deposit at No Agua Peaks, New
Mexico; in Austin, G.S., Editor, Industrial Rocks and Minerals of the Southwest,
New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Circular 182, pages 8996.