According to its transliteration, Bentonite is a hydrated clay mineral primarily composed of montmorillonite. Its official molecular formula is Nax(H2O)4(Al2-xMg0.83)Si4O10)(OH)2. Thanks to its unique characteristics, Bentonite is utilized across various industrial sectors owing to its properties including swelling, adhesion, adsorption, catalysis, thixotropy, suspension, and cation exchange. Bentonite, known as the 'universal' clay, is a prized non-metallic mineral offering exceptional process performance such as dispersion, suspension, thixotropy, rheology, adsorption, plasticity, adhesion, and cation exchange. It serves as binders, suspension agents, thixotropic agents, plasticizers, thickeners, lubricants, flocculants, stabilizers, catalysts, purification and decolorization agents, clarifying agents, fillers, adsorbents, and chemical carriers. Consequently, Bentonite finds wide application in petroleum, metallurgy, chemical industries, casting, construction, plastics, rubber, coatings, and light industries.
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