Things Made From Volcanic Material
Everyone knows about the damage that volcanoes cause but few people know how useful volcanic material is.
Ash is used in most hand soaps as an abrasive. Fine grains of ash might also be used to polish silverware. Another use for ash is to help preserve things. Volcanic materials helped preserve Pompeii.
Fluoride is used in toothpaste to keep your teeth healthy.
Pumice might be used for insulation and has been used along with volcanic ash to build dams. Pumice can also be used as blacktop.
Volcanic material can also help soil and crops. Volcanic material is also used in building materials such as concrete and other cements.
Another material called Perlite also comes from volcanic activity. Perlite is also known as volcanic plaster. It expands when it is heated and turns glossy. It is almost like when you heat glaze on clay and put it in the kiln.
Diamonds come from old deeply eroded volcanoes. They are brought to the surface by kimberlite pipes.
Pumice, volcanic ash and perlite can be found by mining in the west.