Particle separation to improve the properties and understanding of Kisolite clay.

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A clay deposit on the central Pacific British Columbia coast has been regarded by the Heiltsuk First Nations people as an invaluable resource of a unique clay with exceptional therapeutic healing properties. Kismeet Glacial Clay Inc. is seeking to utilize this unique clay, known as Kisolite Clay, for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Despite its considerable potential, the clay contains silica particles which need to be removed prior to utilize for such applications. Better understanding of antimicrobial mechanism in relationship to particle size and mineralogical properties is also necessary for optimizing the use of this clay. Several separation processes were examined in our previous Engage project. An inclined vibrating screen was found to be the most promising method for separating particles by size, with capability to separate particles larger than 50 microns. The proposed Engage Plus grant will extend the earlier work by dividing the clay into different size fractions, examining the mineral compositions of these fractions and relating these properties to antibacterial activities. A laboratory-scale inclined vibrating screen, aided by sonication to improve screening efficiency and to obtain smaller size fractions, will be developed and tested for a range of operating conditions. The impact of these conditions on antibacterial properties will then be examined. If time allows, preliminary tests will be carried out to demonstrate the inclusion of the clay of suitable size into a nanofibre matrix for various antimicrobial applications. The work will be carried out by Dr. Grace and a postdoctoral fellow from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in collaboration with Civil Engineering, Materials Engineering and Microbiology, working closely with Kisameet representatives.