Mankind has long learned to use minerals from the bowels of the planet to satisfy its needs.
And if coal, oil and other widely known gifts have been used in industry for a long time, then the beneficial properties of some minerals have been studied only recently.
This includes a substance such as bentonite. What is this mineral and what is it used for? Below we will try to understand this issue in more detail.
Concept and origin
Bentonite is a clay-like mineral of sedimentary type with water-absorbing and adsorbing properties. When moistened, its volume can increase several times from its original size.
The mineral is named after the American city of Benton, located in the state of Montana, where deposits of this mineral were first discovered.
The formation of bentonite occurred in the late stages of the geological development of our planet. The reason for its occurrence was the transformation of volcanic sedimentary rocks under the influence of moisture and high temperature.
Variety of deposits
It should be noted that in addition to the hydrothermal process, many external factors influenced the occurrence of deposits. Therefore, in the world there are a huge number of places where bentonite clays are mined. But at the same time, they have various properties and are used in various industries.
Mining
In the modern mining industry, the development of bentonite clays is carried out mainly by an open pit method. This is due to the peculiarities of the occurrence of this sedimentary rock, the depth of which does not usually exceed 100 meters. The production of bentonite begins only after exploring the field.
Analysis and geological exploration assess the economic feasibility of starting development, after which measures are taken to discover the deposits. Moreover, the estimated production should exceed several million tons. Only in this case, the development of a career will be cost-effective.
Each deposit gives its own special bentonite. What are these varieties and where are they used?
Application Industries
The most common uses for this mineral are:
- Agriculture. Bentonite is widely used in this industry. Its use for land reclamation and as an adsorbing element during field work is difficult to overestimate.
- Bentonite for winemaking and fruit juice production. They did not immediately come to the idea of using the mineral in this industry. In winemaking often used bentonite clarification of various wines and natural drinks.
- Steel industry. It is indispensable in the foundry industry for the manufacture of various molding compounds. In addition, purification with bentonite clay is an integral element in the production of ferrous metal alloys.
- Perfumery and household chemicals. Bentonite does not contain any toxic additives and has excellent absorption properties. It is widely used in the manufacture of cosmetics, toilet water, various emulsions and anti-corrosion additives. Moreover, the cost of raw materials of even the highest quality is significantly lower than that of plant and animal additives used in the production of household chemicals. Therefore, the use of bentonite can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing raw materials.
- Light industry. Bentonite is a cheap and high-quality substitute for starch and is widely used for the manufacture of fabrics.
- Oil refining industry. It needs a separate bentonite. What is this variety? The fact is that products obtained during oil refining significantly improve their consumer qualities if they were previously purified with bentonite. This removes all unnecessary impurities.
Below we consider the use of bentonite in individual industries in more detail.
Wine industry
Lately, bentonite for winemaking has been almost the main element of the technological process. It’s hard to imagine now how they did without it before.
It is mainly used in the following cases:
- clarification of wine and fruit juices with bentonite;
- processing of wort to remove various enzymes and protein compounds from it;
- processing of wine and juice-containing materials in order to stabilize them.
Usually, bentonite purification is used independently in the wine industry. But in some cases, it is possible to use other auxiliary substances that participate in the process as a catalyst.
The benefits of bentonite when used in winemaking
First advantage . The use of this mineral in the production of wine, in addition to its cheapness, allows to achieve great advantages in the technological process. Mineral can significantly reduce the amount of adhesive waste during processing:
- Easily glued materials. For this, bentonite is mixed with a small amount of baking soda.
- Wort in the manufacturing process of white and champagne wines. For this, a bentonite solution is prepared without the addition of soda. This allows you to get a dense precipitate in which there are absolutely no protein compounds.
The second advantage . Bentonite is easy to use in production. The resulting solution does not form lumpy compounds, which makes it easy to combine it with wine semi-finished products. Moreover, it has a large coefficient of clarification and stabilization of the finished product.
The third advantage . Low cost of bentonite clays in comparison with similar substances. At the same time, the norms of consumption of raw materials for clarification of products in some cases are even lower than that of similar sorbents. This allows to reduce production costs, which reduces the cost of finished products and increases the rate of return at the enterprise.
The fourth advantage . Dry bentonite powder makes it easy to prepare a solution of any consistency. This is done by adding the required amount of liquid.
Fifth advantage . It is possible to obtain bentonite of any kind and category. It is enough to contact the supplier of this raw material and get acquainted with the characteristics of this mineral, and then make the necessary choice.
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD)
Often used bentonite for HDD. So, when excavation work is carried out related to drilling, there are cases of shedding of the walls of the drilled hole. Bentonite clay is also used to strengthen the bore. In addition, the hydrophobic properties of building materials containing this mineral allow them to be used to strengthen the walls of trenches during earthworks, which are carried out below the groundwater level in any particular area.
Bentonite for horizontal drilling is used due to its high astringent properties. Water coming into contact with this substance fills the voids in it. The result is a swelling of the mixture and its increase in volume by several times.
With proper observance of the required proportions of dry powder and liquid, a homogeneous viscous substance is obtained, which has thixotropic properties. This means that the bentonite solution easily absorbs water and becomes malleable, which makes it easier to work with. And in the absence of mechanical impact, it hardens, forming a water-proof barrier.
A special solution of bentonite clay is indispensable when drilling in loose and floating soils. It allows you to strengthen the walls of the resulting well, and also prevent the sticking of parts of the soil to the drilling equipment.
Use in the fight against quicksand
Bentonite is also used when drilling in the event of quicksand. As you know, quicksand is a soil mixed with water, which acts on the walls of the well and causes their constant collapse.
Usually it consists of sand and pieces of clay, which form the so-called “creeping water”. When the well reaches the place of formation of the quicksand, the violation of the integrity of its shell leads to filling this mass of the entire space outside the walls of the well, which does not allow to continue working. In this case, the volume of liquid can be so significant that even using a pump to pump out the suspension does not solve the problem.
To neutralize the negative effects of quicksand bentonite clay is used. It is pumped into the annulus. After swelling, this mixture forms a waterproofing mass that prevents the fluid from filling the well.
Bentonite in modern drilling operations is a magic wand, especially when drilling on water. In addition to hydrophobic properties, it has lubricating properties, which allows to increase the life of the rig and directly the cutters.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about such material as bentonite, what is it, what is it used for, in what areas of industry and for what purpose is it used, how is its extraction. You can find out more about its physical properties by contacting specialized publications.