Sepiolite from Serbian deposits as an industrial mineral

Abstract

Long-termed geological exploration of sepiolite in Serbia has proved that there exist two structuralmorphological types of sepiolite deposits: the vein type - in ultrabasic rocks, associated with vein magnesite deposits (of Goleš, Trnava, Milićevci, Čavlovac, Masnica, Kive Strane and Slovići) and the stratiform type - in sedimentary series of Miocene basns (represented by deposits of Andrići, Tolića Kosa, Stanići and Šilopaj). The deposits of both types contain considerable concentrations of sepiolite which possess favourable adsorptive and other properties (before all: rheologic and catalytic ones). On the basis of these properties the sepiolite from the deposits has been treated as a potential industrial mineral which could be used, like in the world, in various industrial branches, mainly as an sorbent. However, this usage was proved recently (in 2012), only for the sepiolite (i.e. sepiolite clay) from the Tolića Kosa deposit, by industrial technological testing of a technological sample. This testing, guided by the InterCer Company d.o.o. from Belgrade, demonstrated that, in appropriate industrial facilities and by using an appropriate technological treatment, it is feasible to get quality products (in the first place sorbents, additives for animal food and the others) from the sepiolite clay of the Tolića Kosa deposit which have application in Serbian industry.

Dugogodišnja geološka istraživanja sepiolita u Srbiji su pokazala da kod nas postoje brojna ležišta (žičnog i slojevitog strukturno-morfološkog tipa) koja sadrže značajne koncentracije sepiolita koji poseduje povoljna adsorpciona i druga svojstva. Na osnovu tih svojstava sepiolit iz ovih ležišta je tretiran kao potencijalan industrijski mineral, koji bi se kod nas, isto kao u svetu, mogao koristiti u raznim granama privrede, prvenstveno kao sorbent. No, ta mogućnost je tek nedavno dokazana industrijskim tehnološkim ispitivanjima sepiolita iz ležišta Tolića kosa kod Pranjana.