Overview
RhinoSand™ is a natural, high-purity clinoptilolite zeolite — mined, crushed, screened and kiln-dried into a granular depth-filtration media for pressure and gravity systems. Its micro-porous crystalline structure captures particles by inertial impaction through the granule, not merely across its surface — delivering nominal filtration below 5 µm with higher solids-loading capacity and roughly half the backwash demand of conventional media.
Physical Properties
| Composition | Natural high-purity clinoptilolite (≥85%), opaline-silica binder |
|---|---|
| Mesh size | 14 × 40 (≈ 0.4–1.4 mm) |
| Colour | Pale green-grey (darkens when wet) |
| Bulk density | 55 lb/ft³ (0.88 kg/L) |
| Specific gravity | 2.1–2.2 |
| Surface area | ≈ 25 m²/g |
| Surface charge | Net negative |
| Bed void volume | 55–58% |
| Uniformity coefficient | ≈ 1.7 |
| Thermal stability | Stable to 500 °C |
| pH stability | Inert across pH 1–12 |
Performance
| Nominal filtration | 3–5 µm (<5 µm) |
|---|---|
| Service flow — pressure | 12–20 gpm/ft² |
| Service flow — gravity | 2–4 gpm/ft² |
| Backwash flow | 13–22 gpm/ft² |
| Backwash expansion | 40–50% |
| Backwash duration | 5–15 min |
| Bed depth | 30–48″ (per application) |
| Solids loading capacity | 2.6–2.8× vs. 20×40 sand |
| Media life | >5–10 yrs — not consumed |
RhinoSand™ vs. conventional media
| Media | Nominal rating | Solids loading |
|---|---|---|
| Sand — 20×40 mesh | ~20 µm | 1× |
| Sand / Anthracite | ~15 µm | ~1.4× |
| Multimedia (sand/garnet/anthracite) | ~12 µm | ~1.6× |
| RhinoSand™ — 14×40 mesh | <5 µm | 2.6–2.8× |
Applications
RO pre-treatment · Cooling-tower make-up · Municipal drinking water · Wastewater polishing (TSS) · Precipitated-metals removal · Swimming-pool filtration · Carwash reclaim · Irrigation & process water.
Quality & Compliance
- Listed to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 (drinking-water media)
- Clinoptilolite GRAS — 21 CFR 182.2729 & 40 CFR 180
- DOT: non-hazardous
- No free crystalline silica (unlike quartz sand)
- Independent ICP analysis (EPA 6010C): arsenic, cadmium and chromium below detection limits
Field Validation
In a 2022 commissioning trial, a single RhinoSand™ bed (200–250 gpm) cut turbidity 55% — from 0.35 to 0.16 NTU — over five weeks of continuous duty, with differential pressure rising only 1.1 → 3 psi before its first backwash. One RhinoSand™ filter did the work of six.
Packaging
25 kg (55 lb) bags · 1 ft³ bags · 1 m³ super-sacks. Direct volume-for-volume replacement for sand, sand/anthracite, garnet or multimedia.
Related equipment we stock
UltraSorber™ Plus Media
50/50 organoclay + coconut GAC | 8x30 mesh | Iodine ≥1150 mg/g | Density 43-45 lb/ft³ | pH 4-10 | 50 lb
Activated Alumina for Fluoride Removal
Granular activated alumina | Al2O3 93% | Surface area 330 m²/g | Bulk density 48 lb/ft³ | Mesh 14x28 & 28x48
Activated Alumina for Arsenic Removal
Iron-enhanced activated alumina | Surface area 280 m²/g | Bulk density 66 lb/ft³ | Mesh 14x28 & 28x48 | NSF/ANSI 61
Watts® Greensand Plus
Effective size 0.30-0.35mm | 2-12 gpm/ft² | pH 6.2-8.5 | NSF/ANSI 61