WO2012011133A1

WO2012011133A1 - Clay and method for its production

Info

Publication number: WO2012011133A1
Application number: PCT/IT2010/000322
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudia Battaglino
Original assignee: Claudia Battaglino
Priority date: 2010-07-21
Filing date: 2010-07-21
Publication date: 2012-01-26
Also published as: EP2595601A1

Abstract

Clay obtained from an ore comprising from 50% to 60% of a clay fraction and from 40% to 50% of a non-clay fraction, in which said clay fraction comprises two or more minerals selected from the group consisting of illite, saponite, chlorite, kaolinite, goethite, and lizardite, while the non-clay fraction comprises calcite and quartz; uses of such a clay, and method for the production thereof.

Description

CLAY AND METHOD FOR ITS PRODUCTION

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a clay, in particular a clay with properties that can be used both from a therapeutic and a cosmetic point of view. The invention also relates to a method for the production of such a clay, starting from the extraction stage.

Clays are known and have been used for a long time for both therapeutic and cosmetic applications. In therapeutic uses, a so-called mud therapy is typical, involving the use of a clay supplemented with other components, particularly biomaterials, which clay is treated with thermal waters for a given period of time. The mud so obtained can be particularly applied for the treatment of musculoskeletal inflammations or similar disorders. Mud is showed to be an excellent means for topically transferring the thermal properties of the waters from which it has been produced. On the contrary, the cosmetic properties are mainly connected with the mildly abrasive characteristics of the clay material, which effectively enables the dead cells of the horny layer, and the impurities of the skin in general, to be removed.

The well-known muds of the Abano e Montegrotto Thermal Spas are produced using similar procedures which involve the maturation of a clay mud taken from the beds of two lakes in thermal water.

Usually, as described, for example, in document EP1799233A1 , clays for a therapeutic and/or cosmetic use are obtained by mechanically breaking the clay ore, dissolving it in water, and then processing it with treatments which can be both chemical and thermal in nature. Clearly, throughout the various stages, the properties of the original material are changed and, if thermal muds are prepared, the treatment to which the original material is subjected effectively characterises it as being a substantially inert support having a marked ability to absorb a large number of substances.

On the basis of the above-mentioned considerations, in the course of the research that led to the present invention it has been found that, contrary to that observed in standard practice, certain clay ores, because of their own properties, actually have such characteristics as to make any purification step not only unnecessary but even counterproductive. In particular, it has been found that, depending on the site from which the clay is extracted, its distinctive characteristics suffer fatally from the overall geological state of the deposit. Even more particularly, a clay that has been naturally in contact with a thermal spring has absorbed a major part of the oligoelements existing in the water of that spring.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is a clay obtained from an ore comprising from 50% to 60% of a clay fraction and from 40% to 50% of a non-clay fraction. In a preferred embodiment, said clay fraction comprises two or more minerals selected from the group consisting of illite, saponite, chlorite, kaolinite, goethite and lizardite, while the non-clay fraction comprises calcite and quartz.

Preferably, said clay fraction includes illite or saponite as the major mineral component, and chlorite or illite as the minor component. In any case, said non-clay fraction includes calcite as the major component and quartz as the minor component.

Preferably, two or more metals belonging to the group consisting of Ni,

Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, Se, g, Mn and Mo are present in the clay according to the invention.

Another object of the present invention is the use of a clay substantially having the above-described composition as an ingredient for the preparation of therapeutic formulations. Particularly, the clay to be used in such a way has illite as the major component and chlorite as the minor component of the clay fraction. Preferably, lizardite is present in a very minor amount and saponite is present in an accessory amount.

Another object of the present invention is the use of a clay having the above-described composition for the preparation of cosmetic formulations. Particularly, the clay to be used in such a way has saponite as the major component and illite as the minor component of the clay fraction. Preferably, kaolinite is present in a very minor amount and goethite is present in an accessory amount.

Furthermore, yet another object of the present invention is a method for the production of a clay of the type as substantially described above, comprising the steps of: identifying the site of extraction for the ore and verifying the characteristics of the deposit; extracting the ore by coarse fragmentation; aging the ore in the open air, and storing and packaging it.

Advantageously, the site will be located in the close proximity of a spring of iodine/bromide-rich thermal water, and particularly a spring of sulphur/iodine/bromide-rich thermal water. The clay ore of the deposit has not to contain polluting macro-inclusions, such as shells and/or sand, which would require the dissolution of the extracted ore. Furthermore, the deposit does have broad stratifications of clay above and below the depth at which the clay ore having the above-described characteristics is present. Furthermore, the upward flow of the iodine/bromide-rich thermal ground water at the above-mentioned depth has to be verified so as to ensure that the clay to be extracted has been in contact with the ground water.

The ore, after being extracted by coarse fragmentation, will be allowed to age in the open air for a period of time of not less than six months, and preferably of nine months.

Other advantages and features of the clay according to the present invention, as well as of the method for the production thereof, will be apparent from the following detailed description of respective embodiments, which are provided by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. Production Method

1. Identifying the site and verifying the characteristics of the deposit.

In the embodiment described herein, the extraction site has been identified in the area of Diano Castello (Imperia, Italy). Specialized studies show us that the clay extracted in West Liguria is composed of a Flysch & Helminthoid nappe, a strong turbiditic episode deposited during the Cretaceous period on the bed of a narrow, deep basin and carried to its present position during the Alpine orogenic phase. From a detailed survey, it has been possible to confirm an alternation of metric banks of marl with thin clay episodes and frequent intervening fine sands from the lithological point of view. The operation site stands on the Pliocene boundary of Diano Castello - Imperia, here mainly composed of grey-blue clays representing the base bed of the marine transgression. While the Pliocene boundary, which is affected by excavation and foundation operations, shows a secondary semi- permeability due to cracking, it can be considered as consisting of virtually impermeable materials in virtue of the very high clay component. It is important to point out that, in the present site, there is a well of sulphurous water rich in minerals and properties which can be used for therapeutic purposes.

2. Extracting the ore

The clay is extracted at a depth of about 1 m to about 10 m using appropriate means of extraction, and it has the following characteristics: beige-coloured clay (extracted from 2 to 4 m) having a silt matrix with off- white calcium incrustations and free of coarse residues; greyish-brown clay marl with abundant traces of leaching with milky incrustations (extracted from 4 to 7 m) and free of coarse residues; compact, pure grey-blue clay free of coarse residues (extracted from 7 to 9 m).

The clay extracted is pure and free of coarse residues; homogeneous; in irregular lumps ranging from 2 cm to 20 cm in size. The clay appears to be easily soluble and miscible with liquid, and it has a fine and constant granulometry.

3. Aging

The extracted material is then exposed to the environment for a period of not less than six months, and preferably of at least nine months; as a result of this aging, the properties of the extracted clay will be developed.

4. Storage and Packaging

After aging, the clay ore is stored in sacks made of an air-permeable material so as to allow the product to breathe.

Characterisation of the clay

1. Chemical Analyses

Samples taken from the above-described site are subjected to appropriate analyses in order to characterise the extracted clay ore.

Diffractometric Analyses of powders

Diffractometric analyses were performed using a Philips PW3710 diffractometer. The operating conditions includes a CuKa radiation, a 40-kV input and a current intensity of 20-mA.

For each sample analysed, four analyses were performed using the following methods:

- analysis of the sample as it is;

- analysis of a sample subjected to gravity separation on sedimentation cylinders and than centrifuged to eliminate the fraction with a grain size of 2-pm or more;

- analysis of a sample treated by solvation with ethylene glycol in order to detect the presence of non-expandable clay minerals;

- analysis of a sample subjected to a heat treatment at 550°C for two hours.

Two different types of ore were analysed in which the components listed in the following tables were found: Sample 1

Table 1

Elemental Analyses

Analyses of to the presence of heavy metals were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES; EPA 6010). The following elements were found to be present:

Table 3

Co 7.12

Cu . 32.1

Zn 60.95

Se < 5

Mg 6412

Mn 238.4

Mo < 0.1

Evaluation of compatibility

Occlusive Patch Test

The effects of applying the clay to a significant sample of patients (20 to be precise) were evaluated using the so-called Occlusive Patch Test. Of all the patients treated with an application of the clay according to the present invention, only one patient experienced a very slight erythema. Consequently, the average irritation index induced by this product is about 0.05, corresponding to a clearly non-irritating product when this value is compared against the irritation classes.

Bacteriological Analysis

Bacteriological analyses were performed on the clay according to the present invention; the results listed below show that the product can be used both for therapeutic purposes and for cosmetic purposes, since it has a negligible bacterial load.

The two samples that have been chemically characterised show different characteristics from the point of view of use. It has been found that the clay having a composition similar to the above-described Sample 1 is more effectively used in therapeutic treatments.

Therefore, the clay according to the present invention can be used by wetting the claystone as provided in the previously prepared packages so as to obtain an aqueous dispersion having the appropriate consistency for the specific application. The stone will be wetted with drinking water, preferably at a temperature close to body temperature so as to optimally exploit the properties of the clay.

Advantageously, it has been noted that the thermal properties that the claystone has absorbed are transferred to the aqueous medium that come into contact with the clay when this is dissolved. In practice, the claystone according to the present invention actually reverses what was common practice in the standard thermal mud therapy; in fact, if until now a clay mud or the like was given thermal properties by aging it in a iodine/bromide-rich thermal water, in the case of the clay of the present invention, it is the clay itself that makes the aqueous medium contacted therewith the carrier of thermal properties.

It has been found that, in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases, the average VAS (Visual Analogue Scale, i.e. the pain assessment scale) of patients treated with the clays according to the present invention decreases markedly and to a greater extent compared to a simple physiotherapy treatment.

Claims

1 . Clay obtained from an ore comprising from 50% to 60% of a clay fraction and from 40% to 50% of a non-clay fraction, in which said clay fraction comprises two or more minerals selected from the group consisting of illite, saponite, chlorite, kaolinite, goethite and lizardite, while the non-clay fraction comprises calcite and quartz.

2. Clay according to claim 1 , wherein the major mineral component is preferably illite or saponite, while the minor component is chlorite or illite. 3. Clay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the non-clay fraction, the major component is calcite and the minor component is quartz in any case. 4. Clay according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, wherein two or more metals belonging to the group consisting of Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, Se, Mg, Mn and Mo are present in said clay.

5. Clay according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein said ore is extracted close to the upward flow of a thermal spring.

6. Use of the clay according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, as an ingredient for the preparation of therapeutic formulations.

7. Use of the clay according to claim 6, wherein said clay has illite as the major component and chlorite as the minor component of the clay fraction.

8. Use of the clay according to claim 7, wherein said clay includes lizardite in a very minor amount and saponite in an accessory amount.

9. Use of the clay according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, as an ingredient for the preparation of cosmetic formulations.

1 0. Use of the clay according to claim 9, wherein said clay has saponite as the major component and illite as the minor component of the clay fraction.

1 1 . Use of the clay according to claim 10, wherein said clay includes kaolinite in a very minor amount and goethite in an accessory amount.

2. Method for the production of the clay according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, comprising the steps of: identifying the site of extraction for the ore and verifying the characteristics of the deposit; extracting the ore by coarse fragmentation; aging the ore in the open air, and storing and packaging it.

1 3. Method according to claim 12, wherein the site is located in the close proximity of a spring of iodine/bromide-rich thermal water, and particularly a spring of sulphur/iodine/bromide-rich thermal water.

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the clay ore of the deposit does not contain polluting macro-inclusions such as shells and/or sand.

1 5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 14, wherein the deposit does have broad stratifications of clay above and below the depth at which the clay ore having the characteristics in accordance with the preceding claims 1 to 10 is present.

1 6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims 13 to 15, wherein the upward flow of the iodine/bromide-rich thermal ground water at the above-mentioned depth has to be verified so as to ensure that the clay to be extracted has been in contact with the ground water.

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims from 12 to 16, wherein the ore, after being extracted by coarse fragmentation, is allowed to age in the open air for a period of time of not less than six months, and preferably of nine months.

1 8. Aqueous medium having thermal properties, obtained by contacting said aqueous medium with the clay according to claim 5.