Bentonite Clay uses and sourcing

Posted by E on Nov 17th 2022

Bentonite is an incredibly absorbent and swelling clay that consists mostly of montmorillonite.  Bentonite has a specific water absorption property that makes it versatile with a wide range of applications in several different industries. Because of its swelling properties, it is often used in drilling mud for oil and gas companies.  It's used to lubricate and cool the cutting tools, remove cuttings, and also in helping prevent blowouts. 

Bentonite absorbs water, swelling up to 20 times its original size and creating a gel, modish kind of substance. This cool property makes it nature’s sealant. Soil with a high percentage of natural clay is very unlikely to leak water.

Bentonite clay also has ability to “clump” which makes it the main ingredient in most cat litters. As an addition, it helps control odor, which is great when it comes to cats and their indoor needs. 

Using Bentonite clay as drilling mud plays an important role during excavation. It helps control the pressure of the well, displacing the cut bits to prevent the formation of mud cakes, helps in reducing the heat caused by friction during the drilling process, and lubricates the drill.

Bentonite Clay is often used in applications such as water treatment processes. It is also used in products such as animal feed bonding, foundry casting, iron ore pellets, as a disperser for fertilizers and pesticides.  The list goes on and on.

Bentonite clay can be found on Level 7 Chemical in a variety of sizes to fit your needs!

CAS: 1302-78-9

Other names for Bentonite include Montmorillonite, Silicate of Alumina, Smectite Clay, Sodium Activated Bentonite.