Bentonite Manufacturers, Suppliers and Exporters in Singapore
CMS Industries is one of the leading manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters of Bentonite in Singapore. We manufacture Sodium and Calcium Bentonite specialize in all grades of bentonite and cover all commercial applications of its usage with on-time delivery.
Bentonite, also known as “a mineral of thousand uses”, is a naturally occurring rock that consists mostly of montmorillonite. It has the properties of high absorption, dry bonding strength, compressive strength, plasticity, hydration, coagulant, clumping, retention, swelling, water absorption, nutrient absorption, viscosity, and thixotropy.
It is safe for human and animal consumption, non-toxic, and helps digestion. It can also be used to provide protection to drill bits and to lower the resistance to earth. Bentonite has a high cation exchange capacity. These properties make it a highly useful and commercial mineral.
We, at CMS Industries, provide high-quality Sodium and Calcium Bentonite which is processed to manufacture various grades in compliance with the API, Pilling, Earthing Grade, etc. We are among the top Bentonite Powder Suppliers from Singapore. Singapore Bentonite has unique properties that are in high demand in various industries like Oil Drilling, Paper Industry, Iron Ore Pelletization, Civil Engineering, Agriculture, Water Well Drilling, Horizontal Directional Drilling, Water Treatment, Electrical Earthing, Animal Feed, Geosynthetic Clay Liner, Cosmetic, and Pet Litter worldwide.
We offer Bentonite in various forms like Granules, Powder, Micronized Powder, Ores, and Lumps. Our Bentonite is milled, tested, and packaged and comes in small bags, bulk bags, and bulk lumps loose in containers.
Origins of Bentonite
Bentonite is usually formed by the weathering of volcanic ash in seawater that converts volcanic glass into clay minerals. Bentonite owes its name to Fort Benton because bentonite was first found there. Fort Benton is located in the Cretaceous Benton Shale near Rock River, Wyoming, USA.
Singapore Bentonite is of igneous origin, because of the natural trait of volcanic ashes, the chemical composition of this bentonite is different from the bentonite found elsewhere in the world. This bentonite displays higher swelling capacity and gelling properties. These differences mean that the bentonite finds the most number of uses in various industries throughout the world.
Types of Bentonites
There are major two types of Bentonite including Calcium Bentonite and Sodium Bentonite. While sodium bentonite is a highly swelling clay and more valuable, calcium Bentonite is a non-swelling type and is more commonly found.
Mining & Processing
We have large and versatile deposits of Sodium Bentonite and Calcium Bentonite located in Vandh, Pundi, Sherdi-Mandvi, Miyani, Raidhanjar-Abdasa, and the neighboring areas of Kutch, Gujarat.
We have manufacturing units strategically located at Mandvi Taluka, close to the world-class ports of Mundra and Kandla, Gujarat. We are fully equipped to produce above 9000 Metric Tons of Bentonite powder in multiple grades monthly. We possess well-resourced facilities for the production of Bentonite Lumps, exceeding 26,000 Metric Tons every month.
Bentonite is exploited mainly from manual mines. The bentonite deposit is very close to the surface and is mined to a depth of 25 meters. Our mines Kachchh and Bhavnagar districts of Gujarat deploy shovels and dumpers for mining, haulage, etc. We use selective mining, blending, and processing to achieve the required grade.
The processing involves drying, grinding, sizing, and at times use of additives for cation exchange. The mined material is first graded and sun-dried before pulverization. Bentonite is processed generally by simple milling techniques that involve the removal of water and volatile matter like carbon dioxide, if present, and grinding it to the appropriate sizes.
Small amounts of chemicals like soda ash are added sometimes before grinding to control the properties of bentonite. Raw bentonite when delivered to the processing plant contains 25 to 40% moisture. It is, therefore, dried in dryers and the dried clay is ground in roll and hammer mills or other pulverizers and screened. Most of the bentonite is ground to approximately 90% finer than 200 mesh. For insecticide purposes, bentonite is made in the form of granules.
Multiple Properties of Bentonite
The following are the typical physicochemical properties of bentonite:
One of the fundamental characteristics of Bentonite is its high absorption and swelling. Bentonite can absorb large quantities of water which swells it up to 20 times its original volume. However, not all bentonite has the same swelling capacity. Its level of hydration and swelling depends on the type of exchangeable ions contained.
Sodium bentonite allows water to penetrate through the platelets, forcing them apart, thus leading to swelling. Contrarily, calcium bentonite, while getting hydrated in much the same way, due to its strong positive charge, has lower absorption properties, not permitting water to penetrate through the platelets causing platelets to flake off rather than swell.
The binding property of Bentonite comes from its ability to attract and hold onto positively charged ions, such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium, through cation exchange. Bentonite is used as an additive, making the substance more durable, and, in particular, more resistant to heat stress.
The absorption property of Bentonite occurs due to the presence of high specific surface and free charges. Bentonite also has the property of coagulation which happens through the adsorption of ions of opposite charge to that of colloidal particles.
Bentonite absorbs water which forms a semisolid gel-like substance due to the presence of strong hydrostatic pressure resistance. A montmorillonite platelet is formed as a thin packet of negatively charged layers. Due to the negative charge, repulsion takes place and water is let through, forming a strong cover. Once saturated, the cover begins repelling water, irrespective of pressure. Due to these properties, Bentonite finds applications in sealing and lining ponds, docks, landfills, etc.
When Bentonite is dispersed in water, it leads to the formation of highly stable colloidal suspensions that have high viscosity and thixotropy. This unique characteristic of Bentonite is to become thinner when a constant pressure is applied and once the pressure is removed, the viscosity reverts in the given time. These properties are the reason why Bentonite is used extensively in the drilling industry.
