Bentonite has high swelling properties along with good viscosity and liquid limit. These properties are highly valued in most of the industrial applications. Sodium bentonite is well suited as a binder in the preparation of pellets, and in foundry and oil - well drilling mud. Bentonite also acts as a suspending agent in oil - well drilling fluids. Bentonite exhibits good green strength along with high hot and dry strength which helps in preventing moulds from breaking or cracking during the pouring or cooling processs in the foundry industry. Owing to high green strength resulting from its property to absorb and then release moisture, bentonite is used in iron ore pelletisation. Sodium-based bentonite of 75 mm size finds suitability in iron ore pelletisation for bonding by user industries. Bentonite has also remarkable colloidal and waterproofing properties. Bentonite gels are used as a carrier for a number of cosmetic preparations, toothpastes, creams, etc.
There are many uses of Bentonite– from drilling mud, bleaching processes to civil engineering processes. Also it is used in iron ore pelletalisation and other areas related to it. Bentonite is also used in well-dwelling, tablet manufacturing, metal casting industry.
| Bentonite Piling Grade (API Standard) | Bentonite OCMA Grade (API Standard) | Bentonite Drilling Grade (API Standard) | |
| Fann @ 600 rpm | 45-50 | 45-50 | 40 |
| Fann @ 300 rpm | 30-35 | 30-35 | 25-30 |
| Plastic Viscosity | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| Yield Point/Plastic Viscosity ratio | 4.0-4.8 | 4.0-4.8 | 2.5 |
| Filtrate Volume | 15.0-15.5 | 15.0-15.5 | 12.0-14.5 |
| Liquid Limit | 650 | - | |
| Wet Screen Analysis 200 Mesh | 1.75 | 1.75 | 1.75 |
| Dry Mesh Passing 100 Mesh BSS | 98-99 | 98-99 | 98-99 |
| Moisture | 12-Oct | 12-Oct | 12-Oct |
