Abstract
The thermal properties such as specific heat capacity and heat dissipation of peloids play an important role in therapeutic applications. Therefore, these properties were determined on the peloids samples taken from spas where peloid applications are used in Turkey. In addition, some pure clay minerals were investigated to determine their suitability as possible constituents of therapeutic peloids and to make recommendations for preparing the most usable peloids for thermal therapy. For this aim, the mineralogical and thermal properties of samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The mineralogical compositions of the peloid samples are not homogenous, and their clay mineral content is approximately 60%, and the most abundant clay mineral is calcium montmorillonite. The cooling time of peloids are between 20 and 25 minutes, which is suitable for therapy and thus these peloids are suitable for using in health problems requiring heat treatment. The samples have favorable heat dissipation capacity and partially cooling kinetics. Specific heat capacity of the peloid samples is partially appropriate for heat therapy and these values range from 0.60 to 1.41 J/g·°C, and partially high in peloids with high smectite content. The pure sepiolite samples have higher heat dissipation properties than those of other clay minerals especially illites and kaolinites. Ca-montmorillonite and kaolinite have the lowest specific heat values while sepiolite samples have higher values. Sepiolite and partly Na-Ca-montmorillonite are more appropriate than the other studied clay minerals as a peloid constituent especially for therapy of musculoskeletal pain.
Highlights
Thermal therapies are beneficial in treatment of great diversity of acute and chronic rehabilitative problems
The material used in pelotherapy has slow heat conduction and high heat dissipation and does not create the sudden heat problems seen in hot water baths
Pelotherapy requiring high heat conduction, dissipation and specific heat capacity, and pelotherapy is more effective than hot water therapy, because the process of heat flow maintain longer
Summary
Thermal therapies are beneficial in treatment of great diversity of acute and chronic rehabilitative problems. In addition to bathing in hot waters, peloid applications known as pelotherapy is carried out in Turkey and around the world. The clay mineral-rich material known as peloid and/or thermal mud is matured by mostly thermal and occasionally natural waters, and sometimes additional materials such as paraffin, humic matter are added. The peloids are preferred in treatment of some diseases because of keeping heat in longer period than hot water. It has been shown that the thermal properties of peloids can be used to treat various joint problems, breakages, dislocations, vasculopathy and dermatological illnesses [1]. Clay mineralrich peloids are mostly used for thermal therapy for chronic rheumatic inflammation, sports traumas and dermatological problems [2]
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