Bentonite is a highly colloidal clay mineral. The multiple properties of bentonite namely hydration, swelling, water absorption, viscosity, thixotropy make it a multi-application product for diverse industries.
Bentonite has high swelling properties along with good viscosity and liquid limit. These properties are highly valued in most industrial applications.
Bentonite has a wide variety of uses including foundry, animal feed, drilling mud, absorbent, industrial, and specialty uses.
Bentonite is valued in applications, such as foundry sand binding, drilling mud, iron ore palletization and as a waterproofing & sealing agent in civil engineering works.
The commercial importance of bentonite depends more on its sicochemical properties rather than its chemical composition. Exnt plasticity & lubricity, high dry-bonding strength, high shear & compressive strength, low permeability, and low compressibility make bentonite commercially viable.