Will 'mysterious mineral' Illite be worth of 100 years?

연합뉴스 / 2022-07-25 16:37:42

▲ This photo, provided by Yeongdong county, shows Illite. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by Yeongdong county, shows the goals of creating "K-Illite luxury mecca." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by Yeongdong county, shows the goods made with Illite. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) --Illite was first discovered in 1937 in Illinois, USA, and was named after the place where it was first discovered.

The efficacy of this mineral, which has been confirmed so far, is diverse, such as antibacterial, deodorizing, heavy metal adsorption, environmental toxic substance reduction, and far-infrared radiation. For this reason, it is also known as a "mysterious mineral." Although this mineral has also been found in countries including the United States, China, and Australia, the reserves were limited.

On the other hand, proven reserves in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong Province in 1985 amounted to 500 million tons. It is estimated to be the largest in the world and has a purity level of 95%.

Four local mining companies mine 2,500 tons a year, which is enough for 200,000 years.

KIGAM surveyed the quality of Illite in this region in 2007 and evaluated its practical value very highly.

Accordingly, Yeongdong county saw Illite as a new high-value-added growth engine that will provide food for the next 100 years and declared the creation of a "K-Illite luxury mecca" by 2050.

Illite was originally used as a building material and livestock supplement, but is gradually expanding its scope of use to cosmetics and health functional products. Recently, research results have also shown that it plays a role in promoting plant growth and improving functionality.

As various effects have been confirmed, companies that want to use them have signed an agreement with Yeongdong county to develop and commercialize new products beginning from August 2021.

The county is looking for various ways to utilize this mineral as it believes that this mineral will also be useful in pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and food additives.

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

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