What is Bentonite?
Bentonite is a highly absorbent
clay-like substance that helps to lift
impacted waste matter which has
accumulated on the walls of the
gastrointestinal tract. It is usually
used in colon cleansing programs and
with enema therapy. It should be used
under the direction of a health care
practitioner.
Bentonite History & General Information
Bentonite Geology A material composed
of clay minerals, predominantly
montmorillonite with minor amounts of
other smectite group minerals, commonly
used in drilling mud. Bentonite swells
considerably when exposed to water,
making it ideal for protecting
formations from invasion by drilling
fluids. Montmorillonite forms when basic
rocks such as volcanic ash in marine
basins are altered.
Bentonite Properties
Two types of bentonite are generally
identified. One is called the swelling
type or sodium bentonite, which has
single water layer particles containing
Na+ as the exchangeable ion. The other
has double water layer particles with
Ca++ as the exchangeable ion. It is
called calcium bentonite or non-swelling
type. Na+ or Ca++ is exchanged by Mg++
or Fe++. A third type of montmorillonite
has been identified with zero water
layer particles and is probably
electrostatically neutral. Calcium
bentonite is usually referred to as
fuller's earth by a number of
authorities because chemically and also
in physical properties it is identical
to calcium-montmorillonite.
In the early years, all naturally
occurring activated clays having good
bleaching properties were called
fuller's earths. The word fuller's earth
has been named after the practise of
fulling or cleaning the grease and
stains from wool and cloth.
The essential difference between
bentonite and fuller's earth is in their
modes of occurrence and other physical
properties. Bentonite is regarded to
have been formed by the alteration of
volcanic ash deposits, mostly in upper
Cretaceous formations. Fuller's earth
represent a shaly facie of Tertiary
rock.
Bentonites having law iron content, have
been found to be good catalytic agents
in petroleum refining. The bentonites
having Ca and / or Mg as exchangeable
ions are good decolourizers. Bentonites
can absorb water to a greater extent
than ordinary plastic clays. Fuller's
earth, on the other hand, is non-plastic
or semi-plastic in character. It has a
foliated structure. Dry or dehydrated
fuller's earth adheres strongly to the
tongue. The absorption of water in
sodium bentonite proceeds with a
considerable increase in volume (as much
as 14 times its original volume)
creating an excellent gel and viscous
material which is invaluable for the
preparation of drilling muds and in
grouting of dams, wells etc. Sodium
bentonite has an excellent thixotropic
property, i.e. the gel becoming stiff on
standing and reverting to fluidity when
shaken. The swelling type bentonite when
dispersed in water, separates into
suspendible flakes which are all finer
than 0.5 micron. Calcium bentonite
yields about 35% finer than 0.5 micron.
Calcium bentonite yields about 35% finer
than 0.5 microns. The difference in
bentonite and other clays lies in
lattice structure. The sheet of atoms in
bentonite are much thinner and more
easily separable in water. That is why
bentonite occupies more surface area
than other clays. This property is known
as dispersibility, which is unique to
swelling type of bentonite.
Bentonite Physical Properties and Chemical Analyse
36.3% BaO, 20.2%
Ti02,43.5% Si02
Hardness: 6 - 6.5
Specific gravity: 3.6
Bentonite Chemical Properties
BaTiSi3O9
Barium Titanium Silicate
| Yiel point |
16 M3/t Min |
| Water Loss |
15% Max |
| Moisture |
15% Max |
| Wet Screen |
200 mesh 2.5% Max |
| Dry screen |
100 mesh 98% Min |
Other specification according to API or OCMA standards.
Bentonite Environmental
| Lagoon |
Landfill |
| Slurry wall |
Hydraulic barrier
construction |
An untreated powder, non-API grade used
primarily for construction of liners,
caps, and other hydraulic barrier
facilities. Due to its fine particle
size, i t is primarily used with pug
mill mixing methods for liner projects.
BARA-KADE Standard sets performance
standards seldom achieved by
manufactures of "premium" bentonites.
Bentonite Foundry
A southern bentonite consisting of a
high calcium concentration. This is a
non-swelling bentonite that offers
substantially lower dry and hot
strengths by comparison to a western
bentonite. These physical attributes,
when used in moderation, will improve
sand flow ability and ease shake-out
sand conditions. Primary use is in the
production of non-ferrous castings.
Bentonite Industrial
| Asphalt emulsion |
Brick |
Organophilic clay |
| Cement |
Detergent |
|
What Is Bentonite?Bentonite, also referred to as
Montmorillonite, is one of the most
effective and powerful healing clays
used to treat both internal and external
maladies. Bentonite can be used
externally as a clay poultice, mud pack
or in the bath and, in skin care
recipes. Internally it can be added to
water or glazed upon food to help those
with sensitive palates. A good quality
Bentonite should be a grey/cream color
and anything bordering "pure white" is
suspect. It has a very fine, velveteen
feel and is odorless and non-staining.
How Does Bentonite Work?
Bentonite is very unusual in the fact
that once it becomes hydrated, the
electrical and molecular components of
the clay rapidly change and produce an
"electrical charge". Its highest power
lies in the ability to absorb toxins,
impurities, heavy metals and other
internal contaminants. Bentonite clay's
structure assists it in attracting and
soaking up poisons on its exterior wall
and then slowly draws them into the
interior center of the clay where it is
held in a sort of repository.
To state it another way…
"Bentonite is a swelling clay. When it
becomes mixed with water it rapidly
swells open like a highly porous sponge.
From here the toxins are drawn into the
sponge through electrical attraction and
once there, they are bound.
Typical internal preparations and
general guidelines for internal use
are…:
Large physical stature: Take one
tablespoonful of Bentonite and add it to
about eight ounces of liquid and
thoroughly mix until the clay is
completely combined with the water.
Medium physical stature: Take one
heaping teaspoon of Bentonite and add it
to about eight ounces of liquid and
thoroughly mix until the clay is
completely combined with the water.
Light physical stature: Take one level
teaspoon of Bentonite and add it to
about eight ounces of liquid and
thoroughly mix until the clay is
completely combined with the water.
Typical external preparations and
general guidelines are…..
Add 2-3 ounces of Bentonite clay to your
bath and thoroughly mix in, soak and
enjoy.
For external packs add one part clay to
three parts water or until you reach
desired consistency, mix thoroughly to
an even paste and apply to skin area.
Where Does Bentonite Come From?
Bentonite clay is sedimentary clay
composed of weathered and aged volcanic
ash. The largest and most active
deposits.
How Is Bentonite Manufactured?
Bentonite is usually quarry mined from
deposits that can range anywhere from
100 feet to several thousand feet. This
depends on the health and vitality of
the land it is processed from and how
far a producer will go to find the right
clay with the proper characteristics and
consistency.
From here it is mined from the earth and
brought out into the sun to remove
excess water and moisture and, to make
it easier to work with. After the
initial drying begins the final
transformation. It gets processed
(ground) with huge hydraulic crushers
and it then goes through the final
process of micronization, or "fine
granulating". This is usually done with
the assistance of sophisticated and
expensive granulators. Upon completion
of this final process it gets inspected
by a quality control team and is sent
off for consumer use.
What Is Sodium Bentonite?
Sodium bentonite is a natural sealant
and is used for sealing stock and
recreational ponds, dairy and sewage
lagoons, and city landfills. It is also
effective as a hole plug as well as for
controlling dust on highways. Sodium
bentonite is one of the "most effective
law cost methods" of treating porous
soils. It is so effective, that the
Federal Government and most states
require a liner of sodium bentonite or
material comparable, to be used to seal
toxic waste lagoons and abandoned water
and oil wells. It is environmentally
safe, because it contains no chemicals,
no additives, nothing toxic.
How Does Sodium Bentonite Work?
Over several years of testing, Sodium
bentonite has proven to be one of the
most effective sealants on the market.
The fact that sodium bentonite swells
many times its mass, then forms a strong
water and chemical proof seal makes it
an ideal, inexpensive, permanent, and
easy to install liner. Sodium bentonite
is environmentally friendly and safe to
use.
There Are Big Differences in "Bentonites"
There are several companies selling
bentonite clay for various markets. Some
of these companies are misrepresenting
their product because the public they
are selling to does not know the
difference.
If you are considering using Bentonite
as a pond sealant, Please read on!
* There are two types of Bentonite clay.
One is a sodium Bentonite. Sodium
Bentonite has a natural swelling ability
and will maintain its swelling ability
throughout its use.
The other is a calcium Bentonite.
Calcium Bentonite is a non-swelling
bentonite. It will not swell without
additives or chemicals. Calcium
bentonite enhanced with additives will
quickly lose its swell...It is short
lived.
It is the swelling ability of the sodium
bentonite that enables this clay to bond
with the soil to create an impenetrable
liner in the soil.
* Bentonite's are mined clays.
The quality of the bentonite deposits
will vary. Some deposits of Sodium
Bentonite are very high quality swelling
deposits, while others are not as good.
Some of the best deposits are deep in
the ground and will require many
man-hours recovering this bentonite.
So a good quality sodium bentonite
begins with a good deposit!
* Next, the processing of this clay
plays a big part in the quality of the
end product.
All bentonites will contain a percentage
of other minerals; Aluminum Oxide,
Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Oxide, to
name a few and a percentage of sand and
silt. It is the process of removing the
sand and silt from the bentonite that
will produce a higher quality product.
The process of removing most of the sand
and silt takes time and is costly.
Some companies are not interested in
producing a quality product. Thus they
will use poor deposits of bentonite and
process the material quickly enabling
them to sell their product at a cheaper
price. However, if this product were
tested, it would probably result in a
large percentage of sand; something a
leaky pond does not need.
The key to using bentonite to seal a
pond is:
Use a high quality sodium bentonite
Apply the product properly
Use the recommended amount based on your
soil type and square footage of area
being treated. And remember: Cheaper is
Not better!
Bentonite is one of the most unusual and
versatile industrial minerals in the
world. It has been mined around the
world for a long time, but for over 75
years, the most famous deposits have
been mined. Bentonite is used in a
multitude of industrial, environmental,
and consumer products. It is a naturally
occurring mineral-based ore known as
“swelling” clay that sorbs and retains
water at very high levels. “The fine
residents of Thick Air have already seen
this property from Malone’s mine”, Dr.
Ben T. Knight confirmed. The uniqueness
of bentonite is due to many geologic
factors, but is mainly due to the nature
of the primary mineral in the ore, and
the relatively high purity of most
commercial deposits around the world.
The primary mineral in bentonite is
called montmorillonite. Montmorillonite
is a layered, very 2-dimensional
aluminum and silicate mineral, which is
usually thought to occur as a series of
"stacked cards" called platelets. The
thickness of the basic mineralogical
building block is approximately 1.0 –
1.5 nanometers, or about 50,000 times
thinner than a human hair (65um).
However, the dimensions of the platelet
“face” can be 1-50 um2. The geochemistry
of montmorillonite also contributes to
the uniqueness of bentonite.
Montmorillonite chemical structure is
such that there are specific shortfalls
in electrostatic charge in the clay
which are balanced by other naturally
occurring cations like sodium, calcium,
and magnesium. These cations are called
exchangeable cations and historically
have been used to describe specific
bentonite deposits around the world.
There are over 10 million tons of
bentonite mined around the world each
year, as best as we can figure. These
deposits are regarded around the world
serving as a benchmark of performance in
many different markets. There is a range
of bentonite properties developed for
commerce, but its behavior as it
interacts with water is generally its
most well known property. The
metalcasting industry adds hydrated
bentonite to sand as a glue to hold
these types of molds together before,
during and after the molten metal is
poured into them. “This glue has left
footprints all over town”, piped Mr.
Weed. Bentonite hydration plays a big
part in the use of sodium bentonite in
pet litters as well. At times the list
of water sorbing applications seem
endless, but other examples of common
bentonite use are as liner materials for
landfills, binders for iron ore
processing, suspension agents in oil
well drilling, and water-proofing
products for building materials.
The bulk of the worldwide bentonite
products are calcium bentonites, sodium
exchanged calcium bentonites, and
mixtures of sodium, calcium and
magnesium bentonite. |