12-14$ for 5 ounces or so? I think that's what I paid when I bought a small jar at Blick's. (Art supply, downtown Portland)
Even on Amazon you cane get a pound fo 12 bucks delivered. https://www.amazon.com/Seed-SLIK-Gr...ords=Seed+silk+graphite&qid=1617805202&sr=8-1 And Grainger carries it in 25 pounds for 84 dollars. Vhttps://www.grainger.com/product/31...XccdclGoQajd4lWlUpAaAjXEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Again, I’ll bet farm store stock it in the Springtime cheaper. Denis
Interesting, there is also something called Planter's Talc and graphite with talc added https://qualityfarmsupply.com/collections/planter-talc-graphite
It's called capitalism. But I agree, it's a bit predatory. It is the blackest graphite I have ever seen.
You guys keep looking in the artsy fartsy supply houses. Go to the Ag store (example link... Because shipping this stuff costs more than the graphite!) Graphite is used by the pounds to help lube seeds for planting. Farmers are cheap! so if the lubes expensive they will not use it. 5 lbs for $15 (us). If you factor in the shipping the $20 5Lbs on Amazon is a better deal if you can't find a local ag Store that carries something similar. There's a cheaper blend that is graphite and talc mix. Might not be a bad option for mold release.
https://www.rheologicaladditive.com/organophilic-bentonite-amine-treated-bentonite/ or https://www.rheologicaladditive.com/organophilic-clay-use-for-fracture-fluids-cp-150/ Both available as 25Kg craft bags. I do not know which is more appropriate for casting use though. Details: Amine Treated: Product details Organically modified clay control of fluid loss to the formation , Modified Bentonite CP-169 Rheological additive CP-169 is an organic bentonite clay.Rheology modifier has high thickenning property and colloid stability. This highly efficient Organoclay is designed for oil drilling mud.Rheology Modifier shows high efficiency of forming gel, easily disperse and stable viscosity. Organobentonite can be used well without polar activating agent. CP-169 is an organo clay (modified montmorillonite), designed especially for use in solvent based system including intermediate and low polarity range organic liquid.. 1, Properties Composition Organic derivative of a montmorillonite clay Appearance Fine powder, white Moisture content (105℃,2hr) ≤3.5% Loss on ignition (1000℃) 29%-32% Bulk density 0.53g/cm3 Fineness (<74μm, %) ≥98% 2, Advantages Exerts gelling efficiency over a wide range of intermediate and low polarity Easy dispersing The gel is colourless and of high clarity Produce reproducible thixotropic consistency over a wide temperature range Imparts particle suspension, sag resistance without impairing flow and leveling, preventing hard settling of pigment and fillers Exerts strong film reinforcing action in organic binder systems 3, Application CP-169 is used in the following applications: Oil drilling mud Paints & coatings with solvent of low to medium polarity Cosmetic Lubricant Grease, ink, sealant 4, Using CP-169 disperses under high shear and requires a polar activator (30%~40%) for best efficiency. Heat is not required to obtain good dispersion. Addition levels are typically in 0.2%~2.0%. Polar activator (95% Ethanol or 95% Methanol) is needed. Normally addition level of polar activator is recommended to be 30%~40% of CP-169 in weight. Fracture Fluids details: Product details Organophilic clay use for fracture CP-150 Organophilic Clay （CP-150）is an easy dispersing, self activating organoclay that exhibits high performance efficiency in diesel, low aromatic mineral oil, modified vegetable oil and synthetic base fluid formulation. CP-150 unique rheological structure suspends weighting materials and other solids with less increase in viscosity and gel strength than conventional bentonite. It is highly effective in distillate and mineral oil based invert fluids. Properties Composition Organically modified bentonite clay Appearance Off white to tan finely divided powder, Moisture content (105℃,2hr) ≤3.5% Specific Gravity 1.7 Bulk density 0.40~0.60g/cm³ Advantages Effectively suspends weighting materials and other solids Maintains suspension over a wide temperature range Eliminates need for chemical activators Is easy to disperse and rapid yielding Suspends weighting materials and other solids Maintains suspension over a wide temperature range Application Organophilic Clay CP-150 is a self-activating gallant offering rapid yield development, high gel strengths, and increased efficiency. The unique properties of CP-150 are especially valuable in low-shear mud plant operations and during completion fluid manufacture at the well site Base oil: Diesel Oils Mineral Oils Synthetic Oil Linear and isomerized Alpha Olefins Modified vegetable oil Viscosifying drilling Fluids: All oil based drilling fluids Invert emulsion fluids Workover fluids Fracture fluids
Don't happen to have a price or availability info? We've found a number of sources for 3000 pound lots... It's 50 or 100 pound lots we need. Denis Denis
I'm supposed to the have the VG-Plus in hand next Monday. I've got 4 sacks of it being delivered via UShip. I was planning to pick it up last Friday but the weather didn't cooperate. Shipping from the distributor was too expensive ($400) vs UShip ($175).
Ok so clay arrived today. For the record, It's called VG-Plus. Its manufactured by Schlumberger. Its available via OFMP but can only be picked up from warehouses that have it in stock. The warehouse is a Schlumberger warehouse where the sacks were picked up. Its open 7 days a week if you need to pick up. The label on the bag says its organophilic clay and trace amounts of silica. It was $58.50/50 lb sack with tax. Shipping to me almost doubled the cost but if you can pick it up from one of their warehouses, it's obviously pretty cheap. Denis, I'll get a couple of vacuum packed bags in the mail to you this week. Shipping larger quantities could get messy if the box splits. When I ordered petrobond, it came leaking red powder everywhere.
Mach, you get the prize for actually locating and getting some organophilic clay!! Way to go. Many tried, only you have succeeded. With respect to shipping boxes of clay, UPS Simple Rate may be the best cost option for one cubic foot lots. Up to 50 pounds in a one cubic foot box would ship from Houston to me (and I think anywhere in the US) for 29 bucks. USPS Priority Flat rate is comparable but only allows about 1/2 cu ft for roughly that price. I like your idea of packaging in vacuum bags—-they are quite sturdy. I get Satanite shipped from a commercial supplier packed only in a black lightweight garbage bag inside a single-wall USPS flat rate box. How it ever survives I do not know. I recently shipped some powder to member triple bagged in Ziplock freezer bags and strapped with tape inside a USPS box and that seemed pretty secure. Bottom line: good for you. Denis
Thanks Denis, now the fun begins. The vacuum packing will work for smaller lots. Instead I've got a box-pail-bag solution that will meet the Simple Rate criteria of less than a cubic foot. The VG-Plus weighs about 33lbs/cu ft but adding in layered packaging means it'll be about half of that in final shipping. My math says 16-17 lbs. Based on the recipe that should make 250lbs of sand. I'll take some pics tomorrow of the clay and the box setup.
Inspired by your success Mach, I fired off a query to a Schlumberger company in my state, there's a bit of petroleum exploration going on at the moment. They've replied to my query via email and now want to know what I'm using it for. It remains to be seen if they'll get back to me....fingers crossed.
I worked for them for many years. I was surprised to see that they were selling to the public via OFMP. I had told Jason that they wouldn't sell to direct to the public but I'm officially full of it now. So who knows, they may sell it to you. Not sure where you are but OFMP had warehouses in different states. The label on the VG-Plus has their Calgary office listed and is branded as MI-Swaco.
They have VG Supreme and Versagel HT at Adelaide in South Australia, it looks like VG Supreme will be suitable and they are going to get back to me with a price per sack. They made it clear that it's up to me to arrange freight and that I should have an account with them in future as they are not set up for cash sales. Freight is going to be a killer, shipping it halfway across the country. I'm also dealing with MI-Swaco
I did get a reply back about the two products listed above: Australian $220/ US $167 for a 25Kg, 52lb sack.
So boxed up 20 lbs of clay this evening. Went with the belt and suspenders approach. I believe this will work and not leak. The box measures 10.5 x 10.5 x 14 or or 1,543 in3 which is under the limit for UPS Simple Rate. I'll get it in the mail before the weekend.
I wouldn't think that there is a nuisance charge in there but that's 3x times the US price...that's a lot of uplift. They're sourcing the Bentone 38 from Elementis based on the Material Safety sheet. I called Elementis @ Corpus Christi and they forwarded me to New Jersey. They never answered their phone. You may have an Oz Elementis distributor that is more reasonable.
