Raw Materials in our production

Moler - a diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, chalk-like sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. Moler is a special mixture of diatomaceous earth and bentonite clay, ca. 60% diatoms and 40% clay. The clay gives the raw moler a brownish colour, and due to a high iron oxide content the materials become pink, when baked. Skamol produces a range of insulating bricks from moler.

Moler diatoms

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a natural mineral of the mica group, and it is special, because it expands with the application of heat. The expansion process is called exfoliation and it is routinely accomplished in purpose-designed commercial furnaces. Vermiculite is formed by hydration of certain basaltic minerals. Large commercial vermiculite mines currently exist in South Africa, China, Brazil. Australia and several other countries Skamol produces boards, molded shapes, castables, gunites and shotcretes from different mixes of vermiculite and binders.

Exfoliated Vermiculite grains 

Calcium Silicate

Calcium silicate boards, also known as calsil boards, are products formed by reaction of amorphous silica and quicklime in a matrix reinforced by harmless fibers. If the mix and the conditions are kept right and constant the crystal xonotlite, 6CaO.6SiO2, H2O will form and together with the fibers it will bind the structure together in a highly porous matrix. The open porosity is higher 90%. Due to very tiny pores the thermal insulating capability of the boards are excellent throughout the temperature range -200°C to 1100°C. Skamol is master in handling this special colloidal chemical process and produces a range of highly insulating boards from silica fume, quicklime and fibers. 

 Matrix of a Calsil board

Silica Fume

Silica fume, also known as microsilica, is a by-product of the reduction of high-purity quartz with coke in electric arc furnaces in the production of silicon or ferrosilicon alloys. Silica fume consists of very fine vitreous particles with a surface area of ca. 20,000 m²/kg, when measured by nitrogen absorption techniques, it also has particles approximately 100 times smaller than the average cement particle. Because of its extreme fineness and high silica content, silica fume is a highly effective pozzolanic material and has a good reactivity to lime. Skamol takes advantage of the reactivity of silica fume and quicklime and produces boards in-situ, consisting of nearly pure xonotlite and with a porosity higher than 90%. 

Quicklime

Quicklime is the second component in the calsil boards and it comes from raw lime. Raw lime is calcium carbonate, whereas lime is a general term for various naturally occurring minerals and materials derived from them, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium predominate. The rocks and minerals from which these materials are derived, typically limestone or chalk, are composed primarily of calcium carbonate. They may be cut, crushed or pulverized and chemically altered. Calcining converts them into the highly caustic material quicklime -calcium oxide, CaO- and, through subsequent addition of water, into the less caustic -but still strongly alkaline- slaked lime or hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2), the process of which is called slaking of lime.