Bentonite – A powerful drilling mud and a tested toxin binder

Bentonite a powerful drilling mud and a tested toxin binder is named after Benton Shale, Wyoming, United States, where it was initially founded.

This clay is usually formed from the weathering of volcanic ashes generally in the presence of water.

Bentonite clay has different names in respect to the different elements it consists such as Calcium, Sodium, Aluminium, and Potassium.

It has different multiple uses in varied industries, such as drilling mud in oil and gas wells, industrial cleaning agents, foundry-sand bonds, toxin binders in stock feed.

Properties of Bentonite:-

• Excellent Colloidal Properties
• High Swelling clay
• Adsorbent
• Binder
• Purifier
• Ionic Surface
• Self-sticky
• Self-Sealing
• FDA compliant (For contact with drugs and food)

Structure and Types:

Bentonite is a freely available, inexpensive, non-toxic, and abundant naturally occurring clay used to combine attractive nano-composite of palladium as a super steady and recoverable green catalyst (Fe₃O₄/Bentonite-Pd).

Sodium Bentonite

It has excellent colloidal and swelling properties which makes it:

• A functional sealant as it enables self-sealing, low-permeability barrier.
• A geotechnical and environmental investigator when used in drilling mud for boreholes as well as oil and gas wells.
• A useful toxin binder in stock feed.

When added with organic fertilizers, Bentonite pads can also be used in organic farming.

It is also commonly used for large castings using dry molds.

Calcium Bentonite

It is mainly a functional adsorbent of ions in fats and oils as well as solutions.

Calcium Bentonite is the primary active ingredient of fuller’s earth likely, one of the earliest industrial cleaning specialists.

It is commonly used for smaller castings using wet molds.

Industrial Uses of Bentonite:-

Drilling Mud – Because of its unique rheological properties, It is used in drilling fluids in order to:-

• Remove cuttings
• lubricate and cool down the cutting tools ensuring prevention from blowouts

Binder – A wide usage of bentonite is as a foundry-sand in steel and iron foundries.

Apart from that, in iron ore pellets manufacturing, it is used as a binding agent.

Purification – Bentonite can decolorize various vegetable, mineral, and animal oils.

It can also clarify liquor, wine, beer, cider, and vinegar.

On the other hand, it is considered an effective low-cost adsorbent to remove the chromium(VI) ions from contaminated wastewater.

Adsorbent – It contains adsorbing properties to seperate protein molecules from aqueous solutions.

• To remove huge amounts of protein from white wines, it is used uniquely in the winemaking process.
• Surrounding the feces and adsorbing the odor, it is used in varied pet care items like cat litter.
• To adsorb grease and oils.

Other Industrial Uses:-

• Medical
• Groundwater Barrier
• Farming
• Construction
• Pottery

Where to find Bentonite:-

Jagdamba Minerals is one of the Leading Manufacturers of Bentonites in Rajasthan and the quality of Bentonite clay produced is top grade suited for varied industries.