What are the uses of shale?
Shale is a common sedimentary rock composed mainly of clay minerals and fine-grained debris. In recent years, with the development of technology, shale has become more and more widely used, especially in the fields of energy, construction and environmental protection. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to introduce in detail the uses of shale and its application prospects.
1. Main uses of shale

Shale has many uses and the following are its main application areas:
| use | Specific applications | Hot topic association |
|---|---|---|
| energy development | Exploitation of shale gas and shale oil | In the context of the global energy crisis, shale gas has become a popular choice for alternative energy |
| building materials | Make bricks, cement and ceramics | The rise of green building materials, shale bricks have attracted attention due to their environmentally friendly properties |
| Environmental protection field | Wastewater treatment, soil remediation | The ability of shale to adsorb heavy metals has been widely studied |
| Industrial raw materials | Extract aluminum, silicon and other elements | High-purity silicon extraction technology has become a hot topic |
2. Application of shale in energy field
Shale gas has been a hot topic in the energy field in recent years. With the increasing depletion of traditional energy sources, shale gas has attracted global attention as a clean energy source. The United States, China and other countries have made major breakthroughs in shale gas extraction technology. The following is the popular data on shale gas in the past 10 days:
| nation | Shale gas production (billion cubic meters) | Popular events |
|---|---|---|
| USA | More than 8000 | Biden administration announces increase in shale gas exports to combat European energy crisis |
| China | about 200 | Sichuan Basin shale gas field production hits record high |
| Canada | about 500 | Shale gas mining sparks environmental controversy |
3. Application of shale in construction field
Shale bricks have gradually become the preferred material for green buildings due to their environmental protection and durability. Here is a comparison of the performance of shale bricks and traditional bricks:
| Performance indicators | shale bricks | traditional clay bricks |
|---|---|---|
| Compressive strength (MPa) | 15-30 | 10-20 |
| Water absorption rate (%) | ≤10 | ≤20 |
| Environmental protection | High (no sintering required) | Low (needs high temperature sintering) |
4. Application of shale in environmental protection field
Shale is widely used in wastewater treatment and soil remediation due to its porous structure and adsorption properties. The following are recent research hot spots:
1.Wastewater treatment:Shale has an adsorption efficiency of over 90% for heavy metal ions (such as lead and cadmium), making it a low-cost water treatment material.
2.Soil remediation:The mixed use of shale and organic fertilizer can effectively improve the soil structure and reduce the migration of pollutants.
5. Future development prospects of shale
As technology advances, the application scope of shale will be further expanded. The following are possible future directions:
1.Breakthroughs in shale oil extraction technology:New fracking technology promises to reduce mining costs.
2.High value-added product development:Techniques are being trialled to extract rare elements such as lithium from shale.
3.Carbon Neutral Applications:Shale carbon storage technology may become a new way to reduce carbon emissions.
To sum up, shale has a wide range of uses in the fields of energy, construction and environmental protection, and its future development potential is huge. As global demand for sustainable resources increases, the value of shale will become even more apparent.
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