POWER OF BENTONITE
Bentonite is a type of clay with many good and valued properties. Its professional name is Aluminum Phyllosilicate (aluminum phyllosilicate) and it is mostly composed of the minerals montmorillonite. It is a completely natural mineral that is formed after very high pressures and high temperatures during an eruption of glowing volcanic lava. Depending on which element predominates in the chemical composition, we also distinguish different types of bentonite. In our case, it is Sodium bentonite with increased sodium content. Natural bentonite is powdery and gray in color with various shades of green or blue. Sodium bentonite has the ability to absorb:
- water, including all its constituents, and then increases its volume, swells and creates an impermeable barrier, and
- odors.
EXTRACTION
The raw material used for our products is of volcanic origin and brought from a mine in Peru, South America. This geographical location allows for the highest quality and high content of essential minerals. After mining, the clay is ground and dried, and the landscape returns to its original state, so that the intervention in the natural environment is minimal and at the same time necessary.
In this state, the raw material is transported to Slovenia, where we take care of the process of filling and adding fragrances, if desired by the client.
QUALITY
Montmorillonite is an active and very important component of sodium bentonite. Sodium bentonite has 83.9% montmorillonite and an ion exchange capacity of 120 gr / L. This means that it has a high ability to adsorb and absorb, especially in the absorption and retention of odors and liquids! Bentonite presents strong colloidal properties and its volume increases several times when coming into contact with water, creating a gelatinous and viscous fluid. The special properties of bentonite (hydration, swelling, water absorption, viscosity, thixotropy) make it a valuable material for a wide range of uses and applications.
Quality bentonite provides important minerals to plants and soil. Restores heavily worn soils and stabilizes them. It has an antibacterial effect and as an ion exchanger, it eliminates heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria and prevents their recurrence.
PURPOSE
Bentonites are used for decolorizing various mineral, vegetable, and animal oils. They are also used for clarifying, purifier, absorbent, and as a groundwater barrier.
The presence of a bentonite component in clays and soils may significantly affect the properties of such materials, and hence be of importance in agriculture, construction engineering, and ceramics.
It is used in oil exploitation, directional crossing, steel casting, metallurgical pellets, chemical coatings, composite fertilizers, for water purification, moisture absorption, in pesticides, as pet litter and elsewhere.
Binder
Bentonite has been widely used as foundry-sand bond in iron and steel foundries. Sodium bentonite is most commonly used for large castings, and calcium bentonite is used for smaller castings. It is also used as a binder in the production of iron ore pellets used in the steelmaking industry. In small percentages it is used as an ingredient in commercial and homemade clay bodies and ceramic glazes. It greatly increases the plasticity of clay bodies and reduces settling in glazes.
The self-stickiness of bentonite allows high-pressure ramming or pressing of the clay in molds to produce hard, refractory shapes, such as model rocket nozzles.
Drilling mud
Bentonite is used in drilling fluids to lubricate and cool cutting tools, to remove cuttings and to prevent blowouts. Much of bentonite’s usefulness in the drilling and geotechnical engineering industry comes from its unique rheological properties. Sodium bentonite is also a common component of drilling mud, used to inhibit drilling fluid intrusion.
Purification
Sodium bentonite is used to decolorize various mineral, vegetable and animal oils. It is also used to clean wine, alcoholic beverages, cider, beer, mead and vinegar. The purpose of adding a fining agent preparation to wine is to soften or reduce its astringency and/or bitterness; remove proteins capable of haze formation, or reduce color by the adsorption and precipitation of polymeric phenols and tannins. The fining agent reacts with wine components either chemically or physically, to form a new complex that can separate from the wine.
Absorbent
Sodium bentonite has the property of adsorbing relatively large amounts of protein molecules from aqueous solutions. Sodium bentonite is used in a variety of pet care products, such as cat litter, to absorb odor and surround feces. It is also used to absorb oils and fats.
Groundwater barrier
The property of swelling on contact with water makes sodium bentonite useful as a sealant, since it provides a self-sealing, low-permeability barrier. It is used to line the base of landfills to prevent migration of leachate, for quarantining metal pollutants of groundwater, and for the sealing of subsurface disposal systems for spent nuclear fuel.
Cat litter
Volcanic clay is also used as a litter for cat toilets, as the litter does not stick to cat paws and hair. It immediately absorbs cat urine and neutralizes unpleasant odors. It inhibits the growth of bacteria and allows compact clumping. Due to its graininess, it does not grip the paws and makes sure that the cat does not spread the litter around the apartment.
