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Bentonite
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Bentoniteisanabsorbentaluminiumphyllosilicate,impureclayconsistingmostlyofmontmorillonite.The
absorbentclaywasgiventhenamebentonitebyWilburC.Knightin1898,aftertheCretaceousBenton
ShalenearRockRiver,WyominginAmerica.[1][2]
Therearedifferenttypesofbentonite,eachnamedaftertherespectivedominantelement,suchaspotassium
(K),sodium(Na),calcium(Ca),andaluminium(Al).Expertsdebateanumberofnomenclatorialproblems
withtheclassificationofbentoniteclays.Bentoniteusuallyformsfromweatheringofvolcanicash,most
ofteninthepresenceofwater.However,thetermbentonite,aswellasasimilarclaycalledtonstein,has
beenusedtodescribeclaybedsofuncertainorigin.Forindustrialpurposes,twomainclassesofbentonite
exist:sodiumandcalciumbentonite.Instratigraphyandtephrochronology,completelydevitrified
(weatheredvolcanicglass)ashfallbedsarecommonlyreferredtoasKbentoniteswhenthedominantclay
speciesisillite.Othercommonclayspecies,andsometimesdominant,aremontmorilloniteandkaolinite.
Kaolinitedominatedclaysarecommonlyreferredtoastonsteinsandaretypicallyassociatedwithcoal.

Contents
1Types
1.1Sodiumbentonite
1.2Calciumbentonite
1.3Potassiumbentonite
2Uses
2.1Drillingmud
2.2Binder
2.3Purification
2.4Absorbent
2.5Groundwaterbarrier
2.6Medical
2.7InThaifarming
2.8Bentoniteslurrywallsinmodernconstruction
3Historyandnaturaloccurrence
4Seealso
5References
6Externallinks
7Furtherreading

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Types
Sodiumbentonite
Sodiumbentoniteexpandswhenwet,absorbingasmuchasseveraltimesitsdrymassinwater.
Becauseofitsexcellentcolloidalproperties,[3]itisoftenusedindrillingmudforoilandgaswellsand
boreholesforgeotechnicalandenvironmentalinvestigations.[2]
Thepropertyofswellingalsomakessodiumbentoniteusefulasasealant,sinceitprovidesaselfsealing,
lowpermeabilitybarrier.Itisusedtolinethebaseoflandfillsforexample.
Varioussurfacemodificationstosodiumbentoniteimprovesomerheologicalorsealingperformancein
geoenvironmentalapplications,forexample,theadditionofpolymers.[4]

Calciumbentonite
Calciumbentoniteisausefuladsorbentofionsinsolution,[5]aswellasfatsandoils.Itisthemainactive
ingredientoffuller'searth,probablyoneoftheearliestindustrialcleaningagents.[6]
Calciumbentonitemaybeconvertedtosodiumbentonite(termedsodiumbeneficiationorsodium
activation)toexhibitmanyofsodiumbentonite'spropertiesbyanionexchangeprocess.Incommonusage,
thismeansadding510%ofasolublesodiumsaltsuchassodiumcarbonatetowetbentonite,mixingwell,
andallowingtimefortheionexchangetotakeplaceandwatertoremovetheexchangedcalcium.Some
properties,suchasviscosityandfluidlossofsuspensions,ofsodiumbeneficiatedcalciumbentonite(or
sodiumactivatedbentonite)maynotbefullyequivalenttothoseofnaturalsodiumbentonite.[3]For
example,residualcalciumcarbonates(formedifexchangedcationsareinsufficientlyremoved)mayresult
ininferiorperformanceofthebentoniteingeosyntheticliners.[7]

Potassiumbentonite
AlsoknownaspotashbentoniteorKbentonite,potassiumbentoniteisapotassiumrichilliticclayformed
fromalterationofvolcanicash.[8]

Uses
Themainusesofbentonitearefordrillingmud,binder(e.g.foundrysandbond,ironorepelletizer),
purifier,absorbent(e.g.petlitter),andasagroundwaterbarrier.[2]Asofaround1990,almosthalfoftheUS
productionofbentonitewasusedfordrillingmud.[2]

Drillingmud
Bentoniteisusedindrillingfluidstolubricateandcoolthecuttingtools,toremovecuttings,andtohelp
preventblowouts.[2]Muchofbentonite'susefulnessinthedrillingandgeotechnicalengineeringindustry
comesfromitsuniquerheologicalproperties.Relativelysmallquantitiesofbentonitesuspendedinwater
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formaviscous,shearthinningmaterial.Mostoften,bentonitesuspensionsarealsothixotropic,although
rarecasesofrheopecticbehaviorhavealsobeenreported.Athighenoughconcentrations(~60gramsof
bentoniteperlitreofsuspension),bentonitesuspensionsbegintotakeonthecharacteristicsofagel(afluid
withaminimumyieldstrengthrequiredtomakeitmove).Forthesereasonsitisacommoncomponentof
drillingmudusedtocurtaildrillingfluidinvasionbyitspropensityforaidingintheformationofmudcake.

Binder
Bentonitehasbeenwidelyusedasafoundrysandbondinironandsteelfoundries.Sodiumbentoniteis
mostcommonlyusedforlargecastingsthatusedrymolds,while
calciumbentoniteismorecommonlyusedforsmallercastingsthat
use"green"orwetmolds.[2]
Bentoniteisalsousedasabindingagentinthemanufactureofiron
ore(taconite)pelletsasusedinthesteelmakingindustry.
Bentonite,insmallpercentages,isusedasaningredientin
commerciallydesignedclaybodiesandceramicglazes.Bentonite
clayisalsousedinpyrotechnicstomakeendplugsandrocket
enginenozzles.
Theionicsurfaceofbentonitehasausefulpropertyinmakinga
stickycoatingonsandgrains.Whenasmallproportionoffinely
groundbentoniteclayisaddedtohardsandandwetted,theclay
bindsthesandparticlesintoamoldableaggregateknownasgreen
sandusedformakingmoldsinsandcasting.Someriverdeltas
naturallydepositjustsuchablendofclaysiltandsand,creatinga
naturalsourceofexcellentmoldingsandthatwascriticaltoancient
metalworkingtechnology.Modernchemicalprocessestomodifythe
ionicsurfaceofbentonitegreatlyintensifythisstickiness,resulting
inremarkablydoughlikeyetstrongcastingsandmixesthatstand
uptomoltenmetaltemperatures.
Thesameeffluvialdepositionofbentoniteclayontobeaches
accountsforthevarietyofplasticityofsandfromplacetoplacefor
buildingsandcastles.Beachsandconsistingofonlysilicaandshell
grainsdoesnotmoldwellcomparedtograinscoatedwithbentonite
clay.Thisiswhysomebeachesaremuchbetterforbuildingsand
castlesthanothers.

Bentoniteusedascatlitter

Creatingabentoniteslurryforfining
afterwinepressing

Theselfstickinessofbentoniteallowshighpressurerammingor
pressingoftheclayinmoldstoproducehard,refractoryshapes,suchasmodelrocketnozzles.Totest
whetheraparticularbrandofcatlitterisbentonite,simplyramasamplewithahammerintoasturdytube
withaclosefittingrodbentonitewillformaveryhard,consolidatedplugthatisnoteasilycrumbled.

Purification

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Bentonitesareusedfordecolorizingvariousmineral,vegetableandanimaloils.Theyarealsousedfor
clarifyingwines,liquors,ciders,beer,vinegarandothers.[2]
Bentonitehasthepropertyofadsorbingrelativelylargeamountsofproteinmoleculesfromaqueous
solutions.Consequentlybentoniteisuniquelyusefulintheprocessofwinemaking,whereitisusedto
removeexcessiveamountsofproteinfromwhitewines.Wereitnotforthisuseofbentonite,manyormost
whitewineswouldprecipitateundesirableflocculentcloudsorhazesuponexposuretowarmer
temperatures,astheseproteinsdenature.Italsohastheincidentaluseofinducingmorerapidclarification
ofbothredandwhitewines.

Absorbent
Bentoniteisusedinavarietyofpetcareitemssuchascatlittertoabsorbtheodourandsurroundthefeces.
Itisalsousedtoabsorboilsandgrease.

Groundwaterbarrier
Thepropertyofswellingoncontactwithwatermakessodiumbentoniteusefulasasealant,sinceit
providesaselfsealing,lowpermeabilitybarrier.Itisusedtolinethebaseoflandfillstopreventmigration
ofleachate,forquarantiningmetalpollutantsofgroundwater,andforthesealingofsubsurfacedisposal
systemsforspentnuclearfuel.[9]Similarusesincludemakingslurrywalls,waterproofingofbelowgrade
walls,andformingotherimpermeablebarriers,e.g.,tosealofftheannulusofawaterwell,toplugold
wells.
Bentonitecanalsobe"sandwiched"betweensyntheticmaterialstocreategeosyntheticclayliners(GCL)
fortheaforementionedpurposes.Thistechniqueallowsformoreconvenienttransportandinstallation,and
itgreatlyreducesthevolumeofbentoniterequired.
Itisalsousedtoformabarrieraroundnewlyplantedtreestoconstrainrootgrowthsoastopreventdamage
tonearbypipes,footpathsandotherinfrastructure.Farmersusebentonitetosealretentionponds.

Medical
Bentonitehasbeenprescribedasabulklaxative,anditisalsousedasabaseformanydermatologic
formulas.[10]Granularbentoniteisbeingstudiedforuseinbattlefieldwounddressings.[11]
Bentoquatamisabentonatebasedtopicalmedicationintendedtoactasashieldagainstexposureto
urushiol,theoilfoundinplantssuchaspoisonivyorpoisonoak.[12]
Bentonitecanalsobeusedasadesiccantduetoitsadsorptionproperties.Bentonitedesiccantshavebeen
successfullyusedtoprotectpharmaceutical,nutraceuticalanddiagnosticproductsfrommoisture
degradationandextendshelflife.Infact,inthemostcommonpackageenvironments,BentoniteDesiccants
offerahigheradsorptioncapacitythansilicageldesiccants.BentonitecomplieswiththeFDAforcontact
withfoodanddrugs.[13]

InThaifarming
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TheapplicationofclaytechnologybyfarmersinNortheastThailand,usingbentoniteclay,hasdramatically
reversedsoildegradationandresultedingreatereconomicreturns,withhigheryieldsandhigheroutput
prices.StudiescarriedoutbyTheInternationalWaterManagementInstituteandpartnersin20022003
focusedontheapplicationoflocallysourcedbentoniteclaystodegradedsoilsintheregion.These
applicationswerecarriedoutinstructuredfieldtrials.Resultsfromthesestudiesshowedthatapplying
bentoniteclayseffectivelyimprovedyieldsofforagesorghumgrownunderrainfedconditions.[14][15]
Bentoniteapplicationalsoinfluencedthepricesthatfarmersreceivedfortheircrops.Productioncostsare
higher,but,duetomoreproductionandthequalityofthefood,clayfarmerscouldaffordtoinvestand
growmoreandbetterfood,comparedtononclayusingfarmers.[16][17]

Bentoniteslurrywallsinmodernconstruction
Bentoniteslurrywalls(alsoknownasdiaphragmwalls[18])areusedinconstruction,wheretheslurrywall
isatrenchfilledwithathickcolloidalmixtureofBentoniteandwater.[19]Atrenchthatwouldcollapsedue
tothehydraulicpressureinthesurroundingsoildoesnotcollapseastheslurrybalancesthehydraulic
pressure.Formsforconcrete,andrebar,canbeassembledinaslurryfilledtrench,andthenhaveconcrete
pouredintotheform.Theliquidconcretebeingdenserdisplacesthelessdensebentoniteslurryandcauses
thelattertooverflowfromthetrench.Thisdisplacedbentoniteslurryisthenchannelledtoarecyclingunit
fromwhichitcansubsequentlybereusedinanewtrenchelsewhereontheconstructionsite.
Inaddition,becausethecolloidisrelativelyimpervioustowater,aslurrywallcanpreventtheseepageof
groundwater,whichisusefulinpreventingthefurtherspreadofgroundwaterthathasbeencontaminatedby
toxicmateriallikeindustrialwaste.[19]

Historyandnaturaloccurrence
In2011,U.S.wasthetopproducerofbentonitewithalmostonethirdworldsharefollowedbyChinaand
Greece.[20]
MosthighgradenaturalsodiumbentoniteisproducedfromthewesternUnitedStatesinanareabetween
theBlackHillsofSouthDakotaandtheBighornBasinofWyomingandTokatResadiyeregionof
Turkey.[2]Mixedsodium/calciumbentoniteisminedinGreece,Australia,India,Russia,andUkraine.
IntheUnitedStates,calciumbentoniteisminedprimarilyinMississippiandAlabama.[2]Othermajor
locationsproducingcalciumbentoniteincludeGermany,Greece,Turkey,India,andChina.

Seealso
Illite
Medicinalclay

References
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1. ^Bentonite,WyomingGeologicalSurvey(http://www.wsgs.uwyo.edu/AboutWSGS/bentonite.aspx)
2. ^abcdefghiHosterman,J.W.andS.H.Patterson.1992.BentoniteandFuller'searthresourcesoftheUnited
States.U.S.GeologicalSurveyProfessionalPaper1522.UnitedStatesGovernmentPrintingOffice,Washington
D.C.,USA.
3. ^abOdom,I.E.(1984)."SmectiteclayMinerals:PropertiesandUses".PhilosophicalTransactionsofthe
RoyalSocietyA:Mathematical,PhysicalandEngineeringSciences311(1517):391.
Bibcode:1984RSPTA.311..391O(http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1984RSPTA.311..391O).
doi:10.1098/rsta.1984.0036(http://dx.doi.org/10.1098%2Frsta.1984.0036).JSTOR37332
(https://www.jstor.org/stable/37332).
4. ^Theng,B.K.G.1979.FormationandPropertiesofClayPolymerComplexes(http://books.google.com/books?
id=9O5rcSNszwMC&printsec=frontcover).DevelopmentsinSoilScience9.Elsevier,Amsterdam,ISBN0444
417060
5. ^LagalyG.,1995.Surfaceandinterlayerreactions:bentonitesasadsorbents.pp.137144,inChurchman,G.J.,
Fitzpatrick,R.W.,EggletonR.A.ClaysControllingtheEnvironment.Proceedingsofthe10thInternationalClay
Conference,Adelaide,Australia.CSIROPublishing,Melbourne,ISBN0643055363
6. ^R.H.S,Robertson,1986.Fuller'sEarth.AHistoryofcalciummontmorillonite.Volturna,Press,U.K.,ISBN0
856060704
7. ^Guyonnet,DominiqueGaucher,EricGaboriau,HervPons,CharlesHenriClinard,ChristianNorotte,
VRoniqueDidier,GRard(2005)."GeosyntheticClayLinerInteractionwithLeachate:Correlationbetween
Permeability,Microstructure,andSurfaceChemistry".JournalofGeotechnicalandGeoenvironmental
Engineering131(6):740.doi:10.1061/(ASCE)10900241(2005)131:6(740)
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1061%2F%28ASCE%2910900241%282005%29131%3A6%28740%29).
8. ^Potassiumbentonite(http://www.answers.com/topic/potassiumbentonite).McGrawHillDictionaryof
ScientificandTechnicalTerms.RetrievedJune12,2008.Answers.com
9. ^Karnland,O.,Olsson,S.andNilsson,U.2006.Mineralogyandsealingpropertiesofvariousbentonitesand
smectiterichclaymaterials.SKBTechnicalReportTR0630.Stockholm,Sweden.[1]
(http://www.skb.se/upload/publications/pdf/TR0630.pdf)
10. ^Bentonite(http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/b/bentonite.html)fromoregonstate.eduwebsite
11. ^[2](http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S03009572%2808%29001305/abstract)fromOfficialJournal
oftheEuropeanResuscitationCouncil
12. ^DrugBank(http://redpoll.pharmacy.ualberta.ca/drugbank/cgibin/getCard.cgi?CARD=APRD00819.txt)
13. ^"DatabaseofSelectCommitteeonGRASSubstances(SCOGS)ReviewsBentonite"
(http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=35).FDAdatabase.
FDA.Retrieved15August2011.
14. ^Noble,A.D.,Ruaysoongnern,S.,PenningdeVries,F.W.T.,Hartmann,C.andWebb,M.J.2004.
EnhancingtheagronomicproductivityofdegradedsoilsinNortheastThailandthroughclaybasedinterventions.
InSeng,V.,E.Craswell,S.Fukai,andK.Fischer,eds.,WaterandAgriculture,ProceedingsNo.116,ACIAR,
Canberra,pp.147160.
15. ^Suzuki,ShinjiNoble,AndrewRuaysoongnern,SawaengChinabut,Narong(2007)."ImprovementinWater
HoldingCapacityandStructuralStabilityofaSandySoilinNortheastThailand".AridLandResearchand
Management21:37.doi:10.1080/15324980601087430(http://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F15324980601087430).
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16. ^Saleth,R.M.,Inocencio,A.,Noble,A.D.,andRuaysoongnern,S.2009.ImprovingSoilFertilityandWater
HoldingCapacitywithClayApplication:TheImpactofSoilRemediationResearchinNortheastThailand.IWMI
ResearchReport(inReview).
17. ^Noble,A.D.Gillman,G.P.Nath,S.Srivastava,R.J.(2001)."Changesinthesurfacechargecharacteristics
ofdegradedsoilsinthewettropicsthroughtheadditionofbeneficiatedbentonite"
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3364/is_5_39/ai_n31675731/).AustralianJournalofSoilResearch39
(5):991.doi:10.1071/SR00063(http://dx.doi.org/10.1071%2FSR00063).
18. ^"Diaphragmwall"(http://www.bachysoletanche.com/SBF/sitev4_uk.nsf/technique/diaphragmwall).Retrieved
18May2014.
19. ^abGutberle(1994)."SlurryWalls"
(http://www.cee.vt.edu/ewr/environmental/teach/gwprimer/slurry/slurry.html).VirginiaTech.Retrieved
20120105.mirror(http://www.webcitation.org/query?
url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cee.vt.edu%2Fewr%2Fenvironmental%2Fteach%2Fgwprimer%2Fslurry%2Fslurry.ht
ml&date=20120105)
20. ^T.Brownetal.2013.WorldMineralProduction200711.BritishGeologicalSurvey,Nottingham,England.
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/statistics/worldArchive.html

Externallinks
InternationalChemicalSafetyCard0384(http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0384.htm)

Furtherreading
Brady,G.S.,Clauser,H.R.,&Vaccari,J.A.(2002).Materialshandbook.(15thed.)NewYork:
McGrawHill.
Milne,G.W.A.(Ed.).(2005).Gardner'scommerciallyimportantchemicals:Synonyms,tradenames,
andproperties.Hoboken,N.J.:WileyInterscience.
Retrievedfrom"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bentonite&oldid=632852111"
Categories: Phyllosilicates Aluminiumminerals Calciumminerals Sodiumminerals Medicinalclay
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