| Gypsum in Agriculture |
| Gardening with Meningie Gypsum |
| Industrial Uses |
(see also Material Safety Data Sheet)
GYPSUM IN AGRICULTURE
Most of the gypsum within our deposits is Premium or Grade 1 agricultural gypsum. In addition, size analysis has shown that at least 50% of it is finer than 0.075mm. This unique combination of high grade and fine grain size ensures that the gypsum is easily dissolved into the soil and works well when it is there. Meningie gypsum has been described by a prominent industrial minerals geologist as "the best agricultural gypsum in Australia".
Two of the elements in gypsum, namely calcium and sulphur, are responsible for the beneficial effects when used in agriculture. The calcium replaces sodium ions in clay soils. These soils then become more friable and crops grow better. The sulphur content of gypsum aids the setting of flowers in crops such as lucerne and canola. In summary, gypsum does the following:
* converts sodic soils
* increases crop yields
* cheapest source of sulphur
* better soil aggregation and aeration
* sulphur content promotes flower setting in crops
* allows greater penetration of rain & irrigation water
* suppresses salt by driving it below the subsoil
* provides a conditioner for hard setting soils
* improves non-wetting sands
* improves black clay soils
* environmentally safe
GARDENING WITH MENINGIE GYPSUM
You
are now able to buy Meningie Gypsum in 10kg and 25kg bags from
many retail outlets in South Australia (see list
of retail stores). Those of you who have bought other brands of
gypsum before, may be used to a brown gritty material. If so, expect
a pleasant surprise with Meningie Gypsum, which is white, of high quality
and is very fine grained. The bags are white with distinctive green
and brown labelling.
The product has all the same advantages to gardeners as to agriculture, listed above.
We recommend application rates of between one and two kilograms per square metre. Anyway, instructions are on the bag. Please let us know if you can't find our product at your local hardware or garden shop, or ask the proprietor to contact us.
INDUSTRIAL USES
The physical and chemical standards required for industrial gypsum
depend on the end use. Generally, grades of over 90% are required. Uses
include cement and plaster manufacture, glass making, fillers and the
food industry. Brightness and particle size are important in fillers
and the food industry.
We believe that much of our gypsum is suitable for cement, plaster and
glass manufacture. Other value added uses could be generated by selective
mining of high grade pockets, with careful screening and washing, followed
by meticulous quality control.
Meningie Gypsum has great potential as an industrial absorbent. This
is currently being trialled at various sites.
Flocculation
MENINGIE GYPSUM can flocculate clay suspended in water.Storm water, coming off open ground, contains suspended clay particles
which are responsible for the high turbidity of the water. This water
enters reservoirs or catchment dams and remains in a state of high turbidity.
Therefore flocculated clay in gypsum treated water should sink to the
bottom, thus leading to clearer water in storm water channels, reservoirs
and catchment dams.
The company has carried out a series of experiments which demonstrate
on a micro-scale the flocculating effect of gypsum on storm water. Clay
rich soil has been mixed with rain water and allowed to settle in 2
litre containers, some of which have had small amounts of MENINGIE GYPSUM
added. Subsamples of water are then extracted at regular intervals and
the turbidity measured. Gypsum treated water is much clearer than the
control, as measured by turbidity percentage, at given time intervals.
The particle size of settled clay is noticably coarser in the gypsum
treated water.
An experiment has also been conducted on sea water containing suspended
clay rich soil. MENINGIE GYPSUM slightly increases the settling rate,
but more importantly it will remove yellow staining from the water,
believed to be caused by dissolved organic matter. This presents opportunities
in the aquaculture industry.
Australia's greatest waterway, the Murray River, contains a large amount
of suspended clay which must be removed to produce domestic water. An
experiment has demonstrated that MENINGIE GYPSUM reduces the turbidity
of Murray River water from 10% to 3% (compared with distilled water)
within 48 hours.
Gypsum is used to dewater sewage sludge in treatment plants in the Northern
Hemisphere. MENINGIE GYPSUM, being pure and ultrafine grained, is ideal
for such an application.
Contact us if you can see a use for MENINGIE GYPSUM in storm water treatment,
aquaculture, domestic water production or sewage sludge treatment.
Contact us
Do you have an industrial use for Meningie Gypsum? There is fresh water,
power and labour available. We have millions of tonnes close to highways,
railway lines and ports. There is a natural gas pipeline within
45km of our deposits. Contact us!
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