Bentonite is a kind of water-containing silicate-aluminium mineral with montmorillonite as the main component, with the advantages of absorption, presentation, thixotropy, thickening, etc. It is widely used in oil and grease, coatings, textiles, daily chemical industry, environmental protection, etc. The critical steps of bentonite processing are as follows:

Beneficiation: mining bentonite ore from natural coal mines to remove stones, weeds and other impurities by artificial or mechanical means to enhance the purity and taste of the original ore. After beneficiation, the raw ore is inspected, checking its montmorillonite composition, heavy metal content, harmful substances and other data, and classified and stored according to different grades.>>montmorillonite clay vs bentonite clay

Sodiation: Sodiation converts calcium- or magnesium-based bentonite into sodium-based bentonite, aiming to enhance bentonite’s water absorption and expansion multiplier to improve permeability and gel price. Many sodium modification methods exist, such as standard mixing, yard, extrusion, etc. Sodium modifier is generally sodium carbonate or bicarbonate; sodium silicate or other organic matter can also be used. Sodium bentonite, after maturation, is placed at a specific temperature and humidity for some time, sufficient to absorb nutrients and interchange ions to achieve the desired characteristics.

Drying: Drying removes moisture from senescent bentonite, aiming to reduce the water content, convenient for the next step of crushing and packaging. There are many drying methods, such as a rotary kiln, spray dryer, fluidised bed, etc. The dried bentonite should be controlled within the 20-30% moisture content range.

Grinding: Grinding is adjusting the particle size of dry bentonite, aiming to achieve different uses and customer needs. There are many varieties of mills, such as Raymond mill, airflow mill, ball mill and so on. After grinding, the bentonite should do a particle size test and test its percentage through a variety of mesh sieves, such as 80 mesh, 200 mesh, 325 mesh, etc… After the particle size test is qualified, it should also be a comprehensive test to detect its water absorption, expansion times, gel price, pH value and other indicators.

Packaging: packaging is the process of bottling and packaging qualified bentonite to facilitate transport and storage. There are many packaging methods: everyday bags (liner bags), paper bags, tonne bags, etc. Packaged bentonite should be marked and recorded with its name, specifications, batch number, production date and other information and sent to the finished product warehouse storage.