SODIUM BENTONITE

CAS No: 85049-30-5
IUPAC Name: dialuminum;disodium;oxygen(2-);silicon(4+);hydrate
EC number: 285-199-4
Molecular Weight: 422.29 g/mol
Molecular Formula: Al2H2Na2O13Si4

Description:
Sodium bentonite is a highly swelling natural clay, available as a fine powder and in granular form.
Sodium bentonite is a highly plastic colloidal clay found mainly in northern Wyoming as a naturally occurring alteration of volcanic ash. 
Sodium bentonite is a natural sealant and is used for sealing stock and recreational ponds, dairy and sewage lagoons, and city landfills. 
Sodium bentonite is also effective as a hole plug as well as for controlling dust on highways. 
Sodium bentonite is one of the "most effective low cost methods" of treating porous soils. 
Sodium bentonite is so effective, that the Federal Government and most states require a liner of sodium bentonite or material comparable, to be used to seal toxic waste lagoons and abandoned water and oil wells.
Most high-grade natural sodium bentonite is produced from the western United States in an area between the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, and the Tokat Resadiye region of Turkey.
The property of swelling on contact with water makes sodium bentonite useful as a sealant since it provides a self-sealing, low-permeability barrier. 
Sodium bentonite is used to line the base of landfills to prevent migration of leachate, for quarantining metal pollutants of groundwater, and for the sealing of subsurface disposal systems for spent nuclear fuel.
Sodium bentonite has proven to be one of the most effective sealants available in the industry today.
Sodium bentonite is a 100% natural substance that has extremely unique properties.
When sodium bentonite comes into contact with water, sodium bentonite exhibits remarkable absorbing capacity, and is able to hold over ten times sodium bentonite's dry weight. 
Additionally, as the bentonite clay swells, it forms a watertight barrier. 
Because of these properties, sodium bentonite has a wide variety of possible applications that range from preventing seepage and leaks in small water bodies to being used as healing clay on human skin.
Similar uses include making slurry walls, waterproofing of below-grade walls, and forming other impermeable barriers, e.g., to seal off the annulus of a water well, to plug old wells.
Sodium bentonite is most commonly used for large castings that use dry molds, while calcium bentonite is more commonly used for smaller castings that use "green" or wet molds. 
Sodium bentonite is the more valuable but calcium bentonite is more common.
In stratigraphy and tephrochronology, completely devitrified (weathered volcanic glass) ash-fall beds are commonly referred to as K-bentonites when the dominant clay species is illite.
Sodium bentonite is environmentally safe, because it contains no chemicals, no additives, nothing toxic.
Sodium bentonite expands when wet, absorbing as much as several times sodium bentonite's dry mass in water. 
Because of the excellent colloidal properties of sodium bentonite, sodium bentonite is often used in drilling mud for oil and gas wells and boreholes for geotechnical and environmental investigations.
The property of swelling also makes sodium bentonite useful as a sealant, since it provides a self-sealing, low permeability barrier. 
Sodium bentonite is used to line the base of landfills, for example. Bentonite is also part of the backfill material used at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project.
Various surface modifications to sodium bentonite improve some rheological or sealing performance in geoenvironmental applications, for example, the addition of polymers.
Sodium bentonite can be combined with sulfur as fertilizer prills. 
These permit slow oxidation of the sulfur to sulfate, an important plant nutrient, and maintain sulfate levels in rainfall-leached soil longer than either pure powdered sulfur or gypsum.
Sulfur/bentonite pads with added organic fertilizers have been used for organic farming.
Sodium bentonites absorb large quantities of water, swelling to many times their original volume, and give rise to permanent suspensions of gellike masses. 
These have been used to seal dams; in bonding foundry sands, asbestos, and mineral wool; as drilling muds.
Also in portland cements and concrete, ceramics, emulsions, insecticides, soaps, pharmaceuticals, and paints; in the manufacture of paper; for clarifying water, juices, and liquors.
Sodium bentonite is used as a water softener to remove calcium from hard water. 
Calcium bentonites are nonswelling and break down to a finely granular aggregate that is widely used as an absorbent clay sometimes called fuller’s earth.
Sodium bentonite expands when wet, absorbing as much as several times sodium bentonite's dry mass in water.
The property of swelling also makes sodium bentonite useful as a sealant.
Especially for the sealing of subsurface disposal systems for spent nuclear fuel and for quarantining metal pollutants of groundwater.
Similar uses include making slurry walls, waterproofing of below-grade walls.
And forming other impermeable barriers, e.g., to seal off the annulus of a water well, to plug old wells, or to line the base of landfills to prevent migration of leachate. 
Sodium bentonite is also used to form a barrier around newly planted trees to constrain root growth so as to prevent damage to nearby pipes, footpaths and other infrastructure.
Sodium bentonite is extremely absorbent and adsorbent – meaning sodium bentonite has the properties to swell and draw pollutants into sodium bentonite's internal structure (absorb).
As well at being able to attract positively charged substances (such as toxins) to sodium bentonite's negatively charged surface.
There are two forms of Bentonite Clay – Sodium Bentonite, and Calcium Bentonite. 
Both are predominately made up of crystalline clay minerals (Alumino-silicate) as well as either Sodium or Calcium. 
It is therefore the Sodium or Calcium component that give the 2 Bentonite Clays very different properties.
Method of converting calcium bentonite to sodium bentonite that is suitable for use as drilling mud or a cement additive. 
After the addition of a calcium bentonite sample to a prepared soda ash solution at predetermined soda ash/bentonite weight ratios, the bentonite suspension is continuously heated and stirred for up to 24 h. 
The heating and stirring are crucial towards enhancing the sodium activation of the bentonite, as well as other rheological properties of the bentonite.
Bentonite has several advantages over other pond liners and sealers.
As a natural clay, it won’t affect the ecology of your pond.
Sodium bentonite will hold under the heavyweight of cattle and other livestock and it is ideal for outlet, dam and embankments limits. 
Bentonite clay is a low cost material and the investment, when used as a pond liner, is similar to other lining materials in the market.
However, sodium bentonite holds the upper hand in the long term, as maintenance costs are nearly zero and the risk of “puncture or tear” is practically non-existing.
In many industries, the fact that sodium bentonite is a 100% natural clay gives it the awesome advantage of being environmentally friendly. 
Sodium bentonite’s high effectiveness also makes it a very tough competitor in several markets.
Sodium bentonite's investment is comparable to other materials but sodium bentonite efficiency's wins in the long run.

Structure and Properties of Sodium Bentonite:
A 5% aqueous suspension of sodium bentonite has a pH between 8.5 and 10.5.
Sodium bentonite exhibits alkaline properties in aqueous solution. 
If including it in feedlot rations would serve to buffer or neutralize rumen pH, it might be beneficial in reducing the economic losses from sub-acute lactic acidosis. 
Sodium bentonite: protein complexes have been shown to retard microbial degradation in vitro.· 
If this would be true in vivo, a high quality protein could be complexed and then bypassed to the lower tract.
If amino acids from the protein:bentonite complex were available in the lower tract, a more efficient utilization of preformed protein could result. 
Sodium bentonite can hold at least 5 times sodium bentonite's weight of water and expand 12 to 15 times its original dry volume.
In calcium bentonite, hydration of calcium and magnesium ions occurs but it is limited by the cross bonding of these divalent cations between platelets.
This results in large bundles of platelets being tied together. 
Because of this, calcium bentonite cannot hold more than 1. 5 times its weight of water. 
Sodium bentonite has large internal and external surface area which is derived from the fact that it has a microscopic flat card-like structure.
The surface area of sodium bentonite as determined by the glycerol retention method is 757 m2 /g.
Sodium bentonite, a colloidal clay of volcanic origin, absorbs water many times its own weight. 
And, under the proper conditions of moisture and pH, it will absorb certain cations. 
Sodium Bentonite absorbs water, swelling up to 20 times its original size and creating a gel, modish kind of substance. 
This cool property makes it nature’s sealant. Soil with a high percentage of natural clay is very unlikely to leak water. 
Sodium bentonite is an efficient sealant.
Sodium bentonite clay is a high swell clay that can expand up to 30 times it's dry size when exposed to water. 
When s odium bentonite clay is applied directly through the water column, in most cases the clay simply expands into a thin, low-density gel material on the pond bottom with little effectiveness for pond sealing.
Sodium bentonite is a mineral formed by water’s constant contact with rocks and volcanic ashes over thousands of years. 
Due to sodium bentonite's composition, bentonite presents a specific water absorption property that makes it versatile with a wide range of applications at home and in several different industries.
Sodium bentonite clay is an effective pond sealant, an anti-odor agent for cat litter.
Also sodium bentonite is a cleansing agent in wastewater treatment, a clumping agent for metal casting green sand and an environmentally friendly drilling mud additive.
Sodium bentonite has significantly aided in maintaining milk fat in dairy animals when high concentrate, milk fat depressing diets have been fed.
Factors related to the reduced milk fat have been decreased acetic acid and increased propionic acid in the rumen, which is characteristic of changing from high to low roughage rations. 
Reduced plasma acetic acid and reduced acetate uptake by the mammary glands are also related to reduced milk fat. 

Uses and Applications of Sodium Bentonite:
One of the most widely known applications of bentonite is as a pond sealer.
While we tend to call it “pond sealer” in reality it serves as a sealer for any structure that needs to keep water either in or out.
Sodium bentonite is used for sewage lagoons and landfills, to ensure the contaminants are kept inside of the designated areas.
Sodium bentonite is so effective that some state governments have made it a requirement for water treatment plants:
-to keep the incoming wastewater in sodium bentonite sealed tanks and ponds
-to prevent any leaks to the underground and surrounding areas. 
Sodium bentonite is used for well plugging, ensuring the well doesn’t open up again. When asking what is sodium bentonite.
They are told this natural clay is so safe it can be used as a pond liner for farm ponds, wildlife ponds, fish ponds, ranch ponds, artificial lakes and natural swimming pools.
When a body of water has a localized leak, sodium bentonite can be applied to the affected area, being an effective sealant in embankments or dam areas.
A two pronged investigation was undertaken to determine the effect sodium bentonite could have on the ruminant feeding industry.
One part of the investigation sought to determine if bentonite could partially or entirely alleviate subclinical lactic acidosis with problem rations. 
The other part of the investigation involved the effect of bentonite on NPN and natural protein utilization. 
Sodium bentonite is mainly used in biofiltration as an agent that can help remove more than 90% of unwanted liquids and suspended solids. 
Sodium Bentonite is highly efficient for manufacturer’s plants of corrugated cardboard, inks, laundries, mechanical shops, farms, food and beverage processing plants, among others.
Sodium bentonite is an efficient viscosifier for drilling mud, necessary for the drilling of gas and oil wells, as well as deepwater wells and horizontal directional drilling (HDD). 
Sodium bentonite acts as a viscosifier, leading to lower filtration in freshwater drilling fluids, easing the hole cleaning process and helping stabilize poorly blended areas.
Sodium bentonite is widely utilized as a natural sealant in recreational ponds, dairy and sewage lagoons and city landfills. 
Due to the colloidal property of sodium bentonite, sodium bentonite is employed in drilling mud for oil and gas wells. 
Due to the swelling property of sodium bentonite, sodium bentonite provides a self-sealing low permeability barrier. 
Sodium bentonite combines with polymers and enhances the surface modifications, which are used for rheological or sealing performance in geo-environmental applications.
Sodium bentonite, an expanding clay is being used in many different ways in industry. 
The wine industry makes use of sodium bentonite's protein-binding properties in the clarification of wine.
Sodium bentonite is used in industry to improve pelleting characteristics of feeds.
Sodium bentonite has been used to maintain fat test in dairy cows fed fat depressing diets. 
Sodium bentonite was shown that sodium bentonite acted by decreasing propionate and increasing acetate levels in the rumen.
Sodium bentonite was postulated that the alkaline properties of sodium bentonite might aid in the prevention of subacute acidosis and thus show an improvement in performance.
Sodium bentonite is used in stock feed for sodium bentonite's benefits of high water absorption, cation exchange ability and organic absorption properties.
Most state laws in the United States require wastewater lagoons and treatment plants to be covered with a layer of sodium bentonite pond sealer to prevent seepage of toxic materials underground. 
Sodium bentonite is a 100% natural product, with no chemical additions, being used to avoid seepage of toxins to the ground is a massive statement of sodium bentonite's sealant powers.
Sodium bentonite also has a “clumping” property. 
This ability to “clump” is what makes sodium bentonite the main ingredient in cat litter. 
As an addition, helps control odor, which is great when it comes to kittens and their indoor needs. 
While cat litter contains other ingredients and some chemicals are added to it, they are mostly added for comfort and are harmless to your beloved pet. 
This “clumping” property is also useful in a foundry, where sodium bentonite is the product responsible for holding together the green sand mold.
Sodium bentonite is also a component often found in the drilling mud used during the excavation of oil wells and tunnels. 
Drilling mud plays an important role during excavation:
-helping control the pressure of the well
-displacing the cut bits to prevent the formation of mud cakes
-helps reduce the heat caused by friction during the drilling process
-lubricates the drill
Sodium bentonite can also be used in the steel industry to aid the formation of steel pellets. 
In construction, as a sealer for underground cellars or basements. As a liner in the construction of ponds, tanks, and artificial lakes. 
In agriculture, as a disperser for fertilizers and pesticides. The list goes on and on, with research all over the world always finding new uses for sodium bentonite.
Sodium bentonite is widely used for purification of wines and juices due to the high cation exchange capacity and ability of sodium bentonite to bind proteins. 
This property can be used to bind organic toxins - bacteria, viruses, fungi and metabolic toxic waste of organic origin (e.g. lactic acid).
Many uses of sodium bentonite:
-Pond sealant
-Lagoons
-Dairy, sewage, feedlot, etc.
-Waste water treatment
-Hazardous & Non hazardous liquid retention ponds
-Hole plug-seismic & cathotic plugging
-Feed binders as a binder
-Natural pesticide carrier
-All natural clumping cat litter
-All natural odor absorbent
-Bathing minerals and toxin absorbent
-Cleansing facial masks to absorb impurities
-Drilling mud for oil drilling
-As a bond for sand grains in foundries
-For palletizing solidified iron ore to suite reduction processing in blast furnaces
-Injected through fissures and cracks to prevent water from passing into constructions.
-Purification and color reduction of fats, oils, and waxes
-Small amounts of bentonite are used in the absorption of oils and greases, in paint, paper industry
-Cosmetics, insecticides, and in ceramic industries
-Wine making process
-Sodium bentonite is used in some soaps
-Dust control
-Water proofing basements and underground cellars
-Long lasting soil stabilization
-Colon cleanser
-Healing clay
-Septic tank & cesspool liners
Due to the unique properties that sodium bentonite exhibits, there are a great many uses for the naturally occurring substance:
Pond Sealing: Pond sealing is one of the applications where sodium bentonite is most popularly used. 
Water often seeps into the soil that forms the sides or the bottom of a pond. By applying sodium bentonite onto the soil that surrounds a pond, the issue of water seepage is effectively prevented.
Sodium bentonite creates an impermeable barrier between the soil and the water, allowing the pond to retain its volume of water.
Lagoon Sealing: The way that sodium bentonite works on lagoons is extremely similar to that of pond sealing. 
What may differ is the process and technique of application. The method of application differs based on the size of the water body, the depth of water, and the pressure at waterbed.
Well Casing and Sealing: Wells are extremely convenient and effective ways to store water. 
Creating a well though, is not as straightforward as one might imagine. 
Wells need to be created using materials that do not allow for water seepage to avoid contaminating the water supply and to keep water in the desired area.
Applying sodium bentonite to these materials will ensure that the well remains leak free.
Well Abandonment: When old wells become dried up or are no longer used, the well hole must be sealed up.
Using sodium bentonite during the well abandonment process will prevent ground water contamination, which could cause serious harm to people or animals.
Landfill Liner: Sodium bentonite is also often used as a landfill liner that prevents the toxic chemicals present in landfill sites from seeping into the soil and surrounding ground water or streams.
Slurry Walls: Slurry walls are built to allow concrete structures to be built around nearby water bodies.
These walls are meant to prevent water seepage and the creation of soft soil. Slurry walls are made using sodium bentonite to ensure there is low permeability between the groundwater and the structure to be built.

Chemical And Physical Properties:
InChI Key: ONCZQWJXONKSMM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
European Community (EC) Number: 285-199-4
ChemSpider ID: 32700031
PubChem CID: 72941614
UNII: K1BPI94O04
Hydrogen Bond Donor Count: 1    
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count: 13    
Rotatable Bond Count: 0    
Exact Mass: 421.799862    
Monoisotopic Mass: 421.799862    
Topological Polar Surface Area: 13 Ų    
Heavy Atom Count: 21    
Formal Charge: 0    
Complexity: 0    
Isotope Atom Count: 0    
Defined Atom Stereocenter Count: 0    
Undefined Atom Stereocenter Count: 0    
Defined Bond Stereocenter Count: 0    
Undefined Bond Stereocenter Count: 0    
Covalently-Bonded Unit Count: 21    
Compound Is Canonicalized    : Yes

Synonyms:
Sodium bentonite
Bentonite, sodian
85049-30-5
EINECS 285-199-4
Q27281818