Glauconite: description and scope of use

One of the most useful minerals that are used by man in many fields is glauconite. Many people do not even suspect that this component is part of a huge number of fertilizers, cosmetics, medicine and other daily used drugs and substances. Therefore, it is important to know about what effects it can have on health, what are the main properties of this natural mineral and where exactly it is used most often. The answers to all these questions will be discussed in detail in our article.

Glauconite can be distinguished among other minerals by a characteristic green tint with various types of color impurities. Such a mineral can usually be seen among sedimentary rocks in the area of ​​phosphorites, marls, sands, as well as in coastal marine zones. The formation of this stone occurs in the oceans, while the participation of various marine organisms is not excluded.

The class to which a similar mineral belongs is semiprecious stones of the first order (according to the classification created by A. Fersman and M. Bauer). The name of the stone comes from the Greek word guakos, the translation of which means "green-blue, bluish-green, light green", according to the main colors present in this breed.

In paleogenic sediments, the stone is present in four forms - far-reaching, authigenic, allogenic and allogenic relict. The authigenic type of glauconite contains more than fifty chemicals. By their ratio, one can obtain information about the paleogeographic factors of glauconitization.

The composition of this mineral includes quite a few components, among which there are such as sodium oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, water, potassium oxide, aluminum oxide, iron oxide, silicon dioxide.

The determining factor in the separation of glauconite into species is the color of the mineral. It can be represented in the following shades:

• dark green with olive tint;
• black and green;
• black and yellow;
• green-yellow;
• green with a bluish tint;
• grassy shade of green.

There is a kind of glauconite, the composition of which is characterized by a large amount of potassium. It is called celadonite. Such a stone is presented in the form of spherocrystalline elements having a radially fibrous structure. It is found in Denmark, Hungary, USA, Italy and Ukraine.

Typically, deposits of a mineral such as glauconite can be found where Mesozoic sedimentary rocks are located. The mineral is mined on the eastern slope of the Urals, as well as in Ukraine.

You will learn more about the glauconite deposit in the Moscow region by watching the following video.

Like any mineral, glauconite has a number of physical properties, which subsequently determine the scope of use of this stone. These properties include:

• opacity;
• glass shine;
• matte tint;
• fragility;
• density indicators from 2.3 to 2.9 g / cm³;
• granular earthy fracture;
• does not form large clusters;
• the mineral is difficult to melt, with the formation of black glass;
• The most important property of glauconite is its ability to absorb radioactive components;
• in nature, this mineral is released in the form of balls or grains of the isometric type, as well as their clusters; isolation in the form of crystals is extremely rare.

Due to its unique composition, glauconite is popular in various fields of activity and services. Most often it is used in the following forms.

• Like fertilizer, due to the large amount of potassium oxide in the mineral. On the basis of glauconite even complex fertilizers of potash-phosphorus type are made. Mineral-based fertilizer has various beneficial properties:
  • it saturates the soil layers with nutrients such as zinc, manganese, boron and copper;
  • helps in maintaining the necessary moisture balance in the soil;
  • has a stimulating growth of seedlings effect, and also makes them more resistant to disease;
  • an important feature of such fertilizers is their effect on the concentration of toxic substances, preventing the saturation of plants with them;
  • this type of fertilizer, such as glauconite flour, increases the yield of certain crops (for example, potatoes and certain types of grains).

• The mineral is used as a raw material in the manufacture of industrial green paints or for painting. The technology for the manufacture of dry-type facade paints based on gluaconite is also actively used.

• Due to the inherent properties of sorbent in glauconite, it is involved in the technology of filtering water from heavy metals and salts, often the mineral is used to operate sewage treatment plants. It is also able to reduce water hardness. This is due to the cation exchange in which the mineral is involved.

• Due to its ability to reduce radiation levels, glauconite is used to restore places affected by it, as well as those territories that are affected by the activities of technogenic enterprises.

• Glauconite is effective for use in animal husbandry. It acts as an integral component of the feed of various farm animals. It has the following positive effects on the various inhabitants of farms and private farmsteads.
  • Improves metabolic processes in animals.
  • Reduces the concentration of toxic elements that are formed in the organs of animals.
  • It contributes to the increase in live weight in pigs, as well as to obtaining larger offspring from sows.
  • When a mineral is added to the composition of sheep food, they have increased resistance to various diseases, including such as brucellosis. In addition, feed enriched with minerals contributes to more intensive growth of wool.
  • When using this supplement, the body of poultry begins to absorb iron better, since glauconite contributes to a balanced distribution of sodium and potassium in the body.
  • In cattle, when using the mineral, a significant increase in growth is observed.
  • Mineral, in addition to feed additives, is also used as bedding for animals. Such a layer is useful because it improves hygiene in the premises where farm animals live, reducing the amount of harmful gases and emissions.

• This mineral and the sphere of fish farming did not go around. Thanks to its addition to the reservoir, the development of phytoplankton is activated, the growth rate and weight gain of young fish increase significantly.

• Even in the petrochemical industry, green earth is neededbecause it is used for dehydration and desalination of oil.

• Since the mineral has a clay texture, his second name in the field of medicine and cosmetology is "green clay". For cosmetic purposes, masks are created to help normalize the processes in the skin cells, make its texture softer, and also prevent aging processes.

1. removal of heavy metals from the body;
2. prevention of anemia;
3. improvement of reproductive processes;
4. establishing a balance in the work of the endocrine system;
5. stimulation of regeneration processes;
6. stabilization of the activity of enzymes in the intestine;
7. increased stress resistance;
8. the provision of immunomodulating effects;
9. an obstacle to the development of sclerosis;
10. stabilization of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid processes.

About how a stone looks under a microscope, see below.