They include the famous "Lava Soap" that cleans dirty hands with tiny pieces of pumice abrasive, a foot scrub cream that works as an exfoliant to smooth "sandal feet," two pumice stones, and a sponge with embedded pumice abrasive.
The largest use of pumice in the United States is the production of lightweight concrete blocks and other lightweight concrete products. When this concrete is mixed, the vesicles remain partially filled with air. That reduces the weight of the block. Lighter blocks can reduce the structural steel requirements of a building or reduce the foundation requirements. The trapped air also gives the blocks a greater insulating value. The second most common use of pumice is in landscaping and horticulture.
The pumice is used as a decorative ground cover in landscaping and planters. It is used as drainage rock and soil conditioner in plantings. Pumice and scoria are also popular rocks for use as substrates in hydroponic gardening. Pumice has many other uses. Together these account for less than a few percent of consumption in the United States, but these are the products that most people think of when they hear the word "pumice.
Lots of people have found small pumice pebbles in the pockets of brand new "stone washed jeans," and almost everyone has seen the famous "Lava Soap" that uses pumice as an abrasive. Below we list these and some of the other minor uses of pumice in no particular order. Pumice Reticulite: Reticulite is a basaltic pumice in which all of the bubbles have burst, leaving a honeycomb structure.
Photograph by J. Griggs, USGS image. The best way to learn about rocks is to have specimens available for testing and examination. Pumice is produced in two forms: rock pumice and pumicite. The word can be used synonymously with "volcanic ash. About , metric tons of pumice and pumicite were mined in the United States in The producing states were, in order of decreasing production:. All of the pumice production in the United States occurs west of the Mississippi River.
In , most of the pumice for consumption in the eastern United States was imported from Greece. In the eastern United States, expanded aggregate, produced by heating specific types of shale under controlled conditions, is used as a substitute for pumice in lightweight aggregate, horticultural, and landscaping applications.
Hendley II, and Peter H. Crangle, Jr. Find Other Topics on Geology. Maps Volcanoes World Maps. Hardness Picks. Rock, Mineral and Fossil Collections.
Flint, Chert, and Jasper. A brief description of the nature of pumice. Copyright: Weldon Schloneger Dreamstime. Get closer to geology. Geology toolkit Discover the unique landscape of the British Isles with our interactive Geology Toolkit, featuring a geology timeline, rock analyser, rock cycle, landscape features and safety tips. Take part now Geology toolkit. Activity Level: 1 Introductory. Copyright information. Publication details Originally published : Wednesday, 27th September Last updated on : Thursday, 28th September Be the first to post a comment Leave a comment.
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