It is more practical and often necessary to use granular clays, instead of powdered products, as adsorbents during production and refining of petroleum derivatives such as jet fuel, mineral oils, transformer oils, paraffins, and similar organic fluids.
For such applications, Oil-Dri Corp. of America produces a high performance product, Ultra-Clear ®, by thermal processing of a natural attapulgite clay having a specific surface of approximately 150 m²/g, low moisture content and high mechanical strength, which won’t break down in presence of water.
Ultra-Clear ® is available in closely graded standard 8/16, 16/30 and 30/60 mesh sizes, and used successfully in applications such as
- Removal of moisture and surfactants from jet fuel, in which their presence may be highly dangerous,
- Removal of moisture and contaminants from used transformer oil to improve surface tension, dielectric strength, power factor, and acid number as well as colour, and to extend useful life,
- Adsorption of polar compounds like moisture, acids, and color bodies in refining of mineral oils,
- Removal of color bodies and in used motor oils,
- Filtration of contaminants from dry cleaning fluids.
by its high activity.