Perlite

Perlite

　　Pumice is an acidic volcanic glass lava. After being crushed, screened, preheated, and calcined, it becomes a porous granular material—expanded perlite. When mixed with different binding agents, it can be made into various types of perlite products with different properties. These products are lightweight, have low thermal conductivity, strong sound absorption, are non-corrosive, non-combustible, acid- and alkali-resistant, non-toxic, and odorless. They serve as highly efficient and ultra-lightweight insulation, heat insulation, soundproofing, and decorative materials. They are widely used in industries such as metallurgy, petroleum, chemical engineering, electric power, construction, and national defense. They can also be used in casting, soil improvement, detergent production, model filler, paint texturing, and more. The perlite mines in Xinyang are mainly distributed in Shangtianti, Wulidian Township, Xinyang County, and Fenglou, Qingshan Township, Luoshan. Just at Shangtianti alone, there are over 44.22 million tons of C-grade or higher perlite reserves, accounting for 60% of the total proven reserves in China. Moreover, the quality is high, with the highest expansion coefficient reaching over 30 times. Experts sent by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to inspect the mine praised it highly, saying: “The perlite in Xinyang is the best we’ve seen in over 70 countries we’ve visited.” (Xinyang)