PERLITE AND SUSTAINABILITY - Environmental, Economic, and Social Benefits - Perlite is an amorphous mineral consisting of fused sodium potassium aluminum silicate. In its natural state, it’s a dense, glassy rock formed by volcanic rock. When crushed and organic acids at both low and high and treated under proper conditions, perlite pops like popcorn, expanding up to 20 times its original volume. It is revered for its light weight, insulative properties, water-retention value, and more. Perlite has a variety of uses across many industries including agricultural, industrial, construction, cryogenics, and even pet care. Perlite acts as a natural filter to clean stormwater runoff, helping to prevent the contamination of waterways which could, in turn, hurt natural flora and fauna. Perlite helps preserve the world’s topsoil by acting as a substitute for native mineral soil. Only three square-miles of perlite are actively mined at any time, which is a small fraction of the available perlite in the world. It is standard for studies to be conducted before mining to ensure the minimization of disturbance to local biology. Because of its unique closed-cell structure, perlite can drastically reduce heat transmission through masonry walls. Thermal performance tests show significant energy savings when perlite is used to fill cavities in concrete masonry structures. All parts of mined perlite can be used, so none of it goes to waste. Perlite is lightweight, making it more cost-efficient to ship than competitor products. Perlite reserves will remain available for generations, as only 1% has been used.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Perlite and Sustainability

Environmental, Economic, and Social Benefits

Dicalite Management Group

 

We often take the time to look at the ways perlite can be used.

Besides its useful properties, there are many reasons it should be used.

Today, we’re taking a look at perlite and sustainability and how it impacts the environment, economy, and society.

What Is Perlite?

Perlite is an amorphous mineral consisting of fused sodium potassium aluminum silicate.

In its natural state, it’s a dense, glassy rock formed by volcanic rock.

When crushed and organic acids at both low and high and treated under proper conditions, perlite pops like popcorn, expanding up to 20 times its original volume.

It is revered for its light weight, insulative properties, water-retention value, and more.

Perlite has a variety of uses across many industries including agricultural, industrial, construction, cryogenics, and even pet care.

Perlite and Sustainability

Environmental

·      Storm runoff filtration. Perlite acts as a natural filter to clean stormwater runoff, helping to prevent the contamination of waterways which could, in turn, hurt natural flora and fauna.

·      Horticultural. Perlite helps preserve the world’s topsoil by acting as a substitute for native mineral soil.

·      Mining has little impact. Only three square-miles of perlite are actively mined at any time, which is a small fraction of the available perlite in the world. It is standard for studies to be conducted before mining to ensure the minimization of disturbance to local biology.

·      Decreases energy use. Because of its unique closed-cell structure, perlite can drastically reduce heat transmission through masonry walls. Thermal performance tests show significant energy savings when perlite is used to fill cavities in concrete masonry structures.

·      No by-products during processing. All parts of mined perlite can be used, so none of it goes to waste.

Economic

·         Cost-efficient to ship. Perlite is lightweight, making it more cost-efficient to ship than competitor products.

Social

·      Community development. Perlite mining and processing contribute to communities by providing stable employment and stimulating the economy. The known perlite reserves will remain available for multiple generations, as only 1% of the reserve base has been used.

·      Building safety. Perlite is a Class A, Class 1 building material with a temperature range for fusion of 2,300 to 2,450 degrees Fahrenheit. Underwriters Laboratories show that a fire rating of a 2-hour rated 8, 10, or 12-inch concrete block wall is improved to 4-hours when cores are filled with masonry fill Tests show that a two-hour rated 8”, 10”, or 12” concrete block wall is improved to four hours when cores are filled with perlite masonry fill insulation.

·      Personal safety. Because perlite is a lightweight product, it is easier and safer to carry than heavier counterparts, like when it is used in horticultural applications.

Visit the Perlite Institute, a worldwide association of perlite professionals, to learn even more about the benefits of perlite on the environment, economy, and community.

Dicalite Management Group’s Perlite Microspheres and Sustainability

Our Perlite

Dicaperl’s industry-leading perlite microspheres are available in a range of densities, degrees of whiteness, and strengths to suit most formulating requirements. Densities range from 4 lbs. per cubic foot up to about 15 lbs. per cubic foot. Proprietary coating microspheres end in product codes 10, 15, and 20.

This special subset of perlite fillers requires advanced manufacturing and classification techniques to produce. Dicaperl is one of the only perlite manufacturers in North America producing perlite microspheres for a variety of industries and applications, from construction and building materials to specialty pharmaceutical and healthcare products.

Our Socorro, New Mexico mine is considered to be one of the largest perlite deposits in the world. We have rail access right at the mine to provide economical transportation to our customers. And unlike most perlite companies, we own and operate perlite ore mining operations and processing and expansion facilities. This allows us to maintain a much higher level of quality and consistency control and ensures volume and supply for our perlite ore and expanded perlite customers.

Our Commitment to Perlite and Sustainability

Emissions: To protect our air quality and atmosphere, the air emissions from the processes are closely monitored and regulated. Several gases and particulates are controlled to ensure compliance with operating permitted levels. A baghouse is used to collect dust from the process air before the clean air is released into the atmosphere.

Rainfall-Runoff: Expanded OreRainfall-runoff in the plant and quarries is controlled in many ways. Abandoned areas are revegetated to promote water retention. Where rain runoff occurs, slopes are engineered to reduce erosion. As a final check, all runoff is collected in siltation ponds to collect any debris or suspended material. Runoff may be used for dust control as described above. From these ponds, the runoff water is treated, settled again, and discharged to the local water sources in strict accordance Water Quality Permit standards.

Dust Control: Dust is controlled in the quarries by water trucks and water wagons on a scheduled and recorded basis. Reclaimed water from mine runoff and stormwater is used whenever possible to reduce valuable water resources. Permanent roads are treated to further reduce dust.

Dicalite Management Group is an international industrial minerals company with a unique multi-mineral platform including perlite, vermiculite, and diatomaceous earth, represented across three brands: Dicalite, Dicaperl, and Specialty Vermiculite. These processed minerals are used in wide variety of applications, and people are often only a few feet from a product created, enhanced, or treated by one of them—whether or not they know it.

https://www.dicalite.com/2020/10/perlite-and-sustainability-environmental-economical-and-social-benefits/

THE MAGIC OF A THERMOS - Why A Thermos Keep Things Cold Longer Than It Keeps Things Hot - A thermos appears to be more effective for keeping cold liquids chilled because the difference in temperature between the ambient temperature and perceived “cold” and “hot” liquids. Heat energy will transfer out of hot liquids more rapidly than it will transfer into cold liquids. Basically, whether you put steaming hot soup or ice-cold water in the thermos, the vacuum bubble surrounding the inner flask will keep the temperature stable for an extended period of time. Energy is created by the vibrational movement of atoms and molecules, and this energy can be transferred. When this transfer of energy occurs as a result of a temperature difference, it is called heat energy. In the case of differing temperatures, heat energy flows from a hot object to a cold object. A vacuum flask is able to prevent or minimize heat transfer between the exterior environment and the liquid inside the thermos. Heat transfer is how heat energy is transferred between objects, whether that is a convection stove boiling a pot of water, the sun heating the planet or a campfire warming a marshmallow! When it comes to the contents of a thermos and the exterior environment, heat transfer is significantly delayed by the vacuum layer.

.............................................................................................................................................................

The Magic Of A Thermos

Why Does A Thermos Keep Things Cold Longer Than It Keeps Things Hot?

John Staughton 

A thermos appears to be more effective for keeping cold liquids chilled because the difference in temperature between the ambient temperature and perceived “cold” and “hot” liquids.

Heat energy will transfer out of hot liquids more rapidly than it will transfer into cold liquids.

Can you remember back to lunchtime during your school days?

For me, my lunch bag would contain a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple, a bag of chips and a room temperature Capri Sun.

I still remember the envy I had for those kids who would pull out a thermos from their bag and begin slurping up warm soup or drinking ice-cold juice.

All of my food tended to be the same temperature, and my parents refused to buy me a thermos, insisting that I would lose it (they were probably right).

The apparent magic of a thermos has perplexed me for many years, but I have also learned an interesting fact from various thermos-loving friends.

In short, their thermoses are better at keeping cold liquids cold than they are at keeping hot liquids hot. Why is that?

What is a Thermos?

Before we can understand its intricacies, let’s take a broad look at thermoses to have a clearer idea of the subject.

A thermos is any container that is able to keep liquids either hot or cold, thanks to a double-walled design featuring a vacuum.

More formally known as a vacuum flask, this invention has been around since the end of the 19th century, when researcher Sir James Dewar stumbled upon it in the course of his study of cryogenics.

Dewar placed two brass flasks inside of one another, and joined them at the neck. The air that became trapped between the two flasks in a thermos can be removed or evacuated, creating a vacuum inside the space.

Without any air to facilitate heat transfer, liquid placed in the inner flask will be isolated from the exterior conditions, and will thus be able to retain its temperature more effectively.

Although this was a rudimentary version of a thermos, and only offered a partial vacuum, it was a huge breakthrough.

Basically, whether you put steaming hot soup or ice-cold water in the thermos, the vacuum bubble surrounding the inner flask will keep the temperature stable for an extended period of time.

The best thermoses on the market claim to keep items cold or hot for two days, and up to 10 days if the liquid is iced!

While thermos efficiency has certainly improved over the years, people still claim that liquids cool off before they warm up, a claim that is directly related to heat transfer.

Heat Transfer in a Thermos

Energy is created by the vibrational movement of atoms and molecules, and this energy can be transferred.

When this transfer of energy occurs as a result of a temperature difference, it is called heat energy. In the case of differing temperatures, heat energy flows from a hot object to a cold object.

As mentioned above, a vacuum flask is able to prevent or minimize heat transfer between the exterior environment and the liquid inside the thermos.

Why does this matter? Because heat transfer is a key part of thermal engineering and thermodynamics, and it occurs all across the universe!

Heat transfer is how heat energy is transferred between objects, whether that is a convection stove boiling a pot of water, the sun heating the planet or a campfire warming a marshmallow!

When it comes to the contents of a thermos and the exterior environment, heat transfer is significantly delayed by the vacuum layer.

If it was filled with hot soup, the heat energy from the interior flask would try to heat up the colder gas molecules in the space between, which could then pass that heat energy to the outer flask wall and the exterior environment temperature, which would be colder than the hot soup.

However, there is no gas in the vacuum space, so that transfer of heat energy does not readily occur.

Similarly, if the inner flask is filled with ice water, the warmth of the outer environment will warm the flask, but there are no air molecules to transfer that heat energy across to the inner flask wall, and thus the cold water stays cold!

So Why Are Thermoses Better At Keeping Things Cold?

Concerning heat transfer, the greater the difference in temperature between two objects, the faster the energy will transfer between them, from hot to cold.

Our perception of hot and cold is also an important thing to consider in this question.

Consider that room temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius); water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) and boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 Celsius).

Thus, the difference between room temperature and a thermos of an ice-cold drink is much smaller than the difference between room temperature and a thermos of hot soup off the stove.

Now, a thermos is far from perfect, and some heat is gradually lost.

Every time you open the thermos, for example, a significant amount of heat transfer will occur (i.e., your coffee will cool or your water will warm).

However, a larger amount of energy will be transferred between coffee and the cooler air, due to the larger difference in temperature.

A smaller amount of energy will transfer between the cold water and the warmer air, due to their smaller difference in temperature.

This is where human perception comes into play; we will be more aware of the temperature change in the coffee than the temperature change in the water.

As a result, popular opinion states that thermoses are better at keeping things cold than keeping things warm, but by percentage of heat energy transferred, thermoses are equally efficient at either end of the temperature spectrum.

A Final Word

The reason that thermoses seem more effective at keeping things chilled than warm is our perception of the temperature change.

Hot liquids (i.e., coffee and soup) are prepared considerably hotter than room temperature, whereas a cold drink is much closer to room temperature.

As heat transfer occurs, we are simply more aware of the difference in heat energy as hot liquids change.

A good way to avoid disappointment is to consume the contents of your thermos immediately upon opening it for the very first time, before heat energy has a chance to make its moves!

John Staughton is a traveling writer, editor, publisher and photographer who earned his English and Integrative Biology degrees from the University of Illinois. He is the co-founder of a literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, an arts nonprofit based in Denver. On a perpetual journey towards the idea of home, he uses words to educate, inspire, uplift and evolve.

https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/why-does-a-thermos-keep-things-cold-longer-than-it-keeps-things-hot.html

CRYOGENICS – It is used to produce cryogenic fuels for rockets, including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX). The strong electromagnetic fields needed for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are usually produced by supercooling electromagnets with cryogens. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an application of NMR that uses liquid helium. Infrared cameras frequently require cryogenic cooling. Cryogenic freezing is used to transport or store large quantities of food. Liquid nitrogen is used to produce fog for special effects and even specialty cocktails and food. Freezing materials using cryogens can make them brittle enough to be broken into small pieces for recycling. Cryogenic temperatures are used to store tissue and blood specimens and to preserve experimental samples. Cryogenic cooling of superconductors may be used to increase electric power transmission for big cities. Cryogenic processing is used as part of some alloy treatments and to facilitate low temperature chemical reactions.

.............................................................................................................................................................

Cryogenics

Understanding the Concept of Cryogenics

What Cryogenics Is and How It's Used

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. 

Cryogenics is defined as the scientific study of materials and their behavior at extremely low temperatures.

The word comes from the Greek cryo, which means "cold", and genic, which means "producing".

The term is usually encountered in the context of physics, materials science, and medicine.

A scientists who studies cryogenics is called a cryogenicist.

A cryogenic material may be termed a cryogen.

Although cold temperatures may be reported using any temperature scale, the Kelvin and Rankine scales are most common because they are absolute scales that have positive numbers.

Exactly how cold a substance has to be to be considered "cryogenic" is a matter of some debate by the scientific community.

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) considers cryogenics to include temperatures below −180 °C (93.15 K; −292.00 °F), which is a temperature above which common refrigerants (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, freon) are gases and below which "permanent gases" (e.g., air, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, hydrogen, helium) are liquids.

There is also a field of study called "high temperature cryogenics", which involves temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen at ordinary pressure (−195.79 °C (77.36 K; −320.42 °F), up to −50 °C (223.15 K; −58.00 °F).

Measuring the temperature of cryogens requires special sensors.

Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are used to take temperature measurements as low as 30 K. Below 30 K, silicon diodes are often used.

Cryogenic particle detectors are sensors that operate a few degrees above absolute zero and are used to detect photons and elementary particles.

Cryogenic liquids are typically stored in devices called Dewar flasks. These are double-walled containers that have a vacuum between the walls for insulation.

Dewar flasks intended for use with extremely cold liquids (e.g., liquid helium) have an additional insulating container filled with liquid nitrogen.

Dewar flasks are named for their inventor, James Dewar.

The flasks allow gas to escape the container to prevent pressure buildup from boiling that could lead to an explosion.

Cryogenic Fluids

The following fluids are most often used in cryogenics:

Fluid	Boiling Point (K)
Helium-3	3.19
Helium-4	4.214
Hydrogen	20.27
Neon	27.09
Nitrogen	77.36
Air	78.8
Fluorine	85.24
Argon	87.24
Oxygen	90.18
Methane	111.7

Uses of Cryogenics

There are several applications of cryogenics. It is used to produce cryogenic fuels for rockets, including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX).

The strong electromagnetic fields needed for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are usually produced by supercooling electromagnets with cryogens.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an application of NMR that uses liquid helium. 

Infrared cameras frequently require cryogenic cooling.

Cryogenic freezing of food is used to transport or store large quantities of food.

Liquid nitrogen is used to produce fog for special effects and even specialty cocktails and food.

Freezing materials using cryogens can make them brittle enough to be broken into small pieces for recycling.

Cryogenic temperatures are used to store tissue and blood specimens and to preserve experimental samples.

Cryogenic cooling of superconductors may be used to increase electric power transmission for big cities.

Cryogenic processing is used as part of some alloy treatments and to facilitate low temperature chemical reactions (e.g., to make statin drugs). 

Cryomilling is used to mill materials that may be too soft or elastic to be milled at ordinary temperatures.

Cooling of molecules (down to hundreds of nano Kelvins) may be used to form exotic states of matter. The Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is an instrument designed for use in microgravity to form Bose Einstein condensates (around 1 pico Kelvin temperature) and test laws of quantum mechanics and other physics principles.

Cryogenic Disciplines

Cryogenics is a broad field that encompasses several disciplines, including:

Cryonics - Cryonics is the cryopreservation of animals and humans with the goal of reviving them in the future.

Cryosurgery - This is a branch of surgery in which cryogenic temperatures are used to kill unwanted or malignant tissues, such as cancer cells or moles.

Cryoelectronics - This is the study of superconductivity, variable-range hopping, and other electronic phenomena at low temperature. The practical application of cryoelectronics is called cryotronics.

Cryobiology - This is the study of the effects of low temperatures on organisms, including the preservation of organisms, tissue, and genetic material using cryopreservation.

Cryogenics Fun Fact

While cryogenics usually involves temperature below the freezing point of liquid nitrogen yet above that of absolute zero, researchers have achieved temperatures below absolute zero (so-called negative Kelvin temperatures).

In 2013 Ulrich Schneider at the University of Munich (Germany) cooled gas below absolute zero, which reportedly made it hotter instead of colder!

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Introduction

Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Science educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

ThoughtCo and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.

Widely-published graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other illustrations used in science.

Experience

Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels. She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.

In addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college professor. 

Education

Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/cryogenics-definition-4142815