Applied Minerals, a global leader in niche applications of a unique aluminosilicate clay material that forms natural microscopic tubes known as Halloysite Clay, which the company obtains via its wholly-owned 230-acre Dragon Mine in Utah’s Tintic District (the only known measured resource of the stuff in the Western Hemisphere significant enough for large scale commercial production), continues turning heads with their line of Halloysite products marketed under the DRAGONITE™ brand name.
Different grades of the product have found application in a wide range of uses from controlled release of an active pharmaceutical agent that also increases the agent’s efficiency (for which AMNL is an exclusive licensee of the Naval Research Lab-patented controlled-release technology), to oil remediation, thanks to the material’s ability to adsorb, de-emulsify, and disperse oil droplets. Up to 98% of hydrocarbon is naturally degraded within 7 days thanks to the outer silica surface of Dragonite rapidly enhancing bacteria growth and this also means the sequestered oil result does not need to be retrieved, something that makes Dragonite particularly good for remediating oil polluted marshlands. Because this biocompatible aluminosilicate clay’s natural tubular structure acts like a reservoir, agent release control applications are easily tuned through redundant, physically delimited characteristics like diameter, length, and encapsulation.
Dragonite is also useful as a flame retardant and the company’s Dragonite-XR™ product constitutes an alternative to dangerous halogenated flame retardants that have been legislated out of use, yet attains the critical V0 performance standard, even being suitable for polymers processed under extreme conditions and high temperatures. Dragonite-HP™ is particularly good for impact-resistant thermoplastics engineering using just 1% to 3% concentrations as a drop-in solution, granting considerable performance benefits over traditional additives without any of the typical density penalties. The same tubular structure and physical/chemical properties which make the material so well suited to time release in pharma applications also lend the material naturally to use in agricultural agent dispersal for farming. Dragonite is not only more efficient than alternatives due to a release rate that can be tuned to match the growth rate of the plants being sprayed, it also eliminates the need for more spraying or additional agent applications and is thus much safer.
These same features make Dragonite perfect as a drop-in additive for paints and coatings since the material can load, store, and then control-release a range of biocides in appropriate dosages, fending off corrosion and microbial growth. Dragonite also functions as a filler material, improving the mechanical properties of paints and coatings, simultaneously acting as an optical fiber that lets light in for UV durable coatings, ensuring a good cure throughout the depth of the material. The company’s Dragon Mine in Utah also has some exceptionally high-grade iron oxide that the company markets as Dragonite-IO™ (including Goethite and Hematite grades), for use in pigmentation, as well as in applications like smoke suppression and arsenic remediation.
A major deal inked with leading life science and high tech giant, Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (SIAL), whose biochemical and organic chemical products, kits and services are widely used across many fields of scientific research, is further proof of AMNL’s leadership position in Halloysite. The Sigma-Aldrich deal (announced back on April 4) will cover marketing and distribution of Dragonite to researchers worldwide via the Aldrich Materials Science initiative, while AMNL continues to handle commercial customers through its own domestic and international sales network.
Another set of uses for this naturally occurring nanotube material are in technical ceramics and catalytics, especially in applications where the material’s awesome capacity to bind to zeolite crystals dramatically enhances a molecular sieve’s productivity across critical functions (liquid and gas separation/filtration). As further proof of the company’s pioneering presence in all of these applied material science areas, AMNL was successful in securing some $10.5M recently (Aug 5) via private placement, with the notes (representing 7.5M shares at $1.40/share) being entirely bought up by just three institutional investors.
For more info on Applied Minerals, Inc. visit www.AppliedMinerals.com
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