Bentonite

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Broward College *

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1000

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Geology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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6

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Bentonite Alexandra Barrow-Rivas Broward College ESC1000: Earth Science Prof Henri Liauw A Pau 2/6/2024 (Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 2013)
Bentonite is a clay formed by volcanic ash and mostly composed of montmorillonite, which allows it to absorb water and grow multiple times its size. It is easily found and a very useful mineral. Thanks to its unique properties, it plays a crucial role in different industries. This essay will explain Bentonite's properties, uses, extraction, and environmental effects. Bentonite has a soft crumbly texture; it is commonly a light grey or beige color. There are however other colors the mineral may be found in such as red or green. Bentonite’s streak is white, and it has a mass of 2.0-2.7. (Museum of Fine Arts Boston, July 12, 2023) When introduced to water the crumbly clay expands and becomes gel-like, this reaction is due to bentonites' main composition of montmorillonite. Montmorillonite is a layered aluminum silicate. Regarding the chemical composition of bentonite, as quoted on PETRONAFT. “ The chemical formula for bentonite is typically Al2O3·4SiO2·nH2O, where n can vary depending on the degree of hydration. The exact chemical formula of bentonite can vary depending on its source and how it has been processed.” Bentonite also exhibits a high cation exchange capacity meaning it easily exchanges ions with other substances. The mineral can also endure high temperatures and keep its form, combined with how flexible it is, it is often used as a mold. (Petronaft, nd) This mineral’s usefulness can be debated to date back to ancient times. However, in the late 1800’s, Bentonite, as currently known was first discovered near the Fort Benton area in Wyoming. Early settlers used it as a seal for their log cabins or a lubricant for their wagon wheels. (Great Mining, nd). It can be argued however that bentonite was discovered in France because it’s main ingredients, montmorillonite, was found in the Montmorillion, France. (Moosavi, M, 2017). Bentonite comes in multiple forms, and they are not only dependent on what the mineral combines with but also other outside factors such as how active a volcano is,
how long the ash has been exposed, the climate of the environment, the PH levels, and even the type of rock that erupted. The most common types of bentonites are sodium, calcium, potassium, polymer-enhanced, activated, and white. White bentonite is often used in the beauty industry in the form of facial clays because it can absorb toxins from the skin. (Mat,2023) All types are used in similar ways the two main ones being sodium and calcium. Sodium bentonite becomes more gel-like when it meets water, so it is often used for more industrial fields such as for a sealant. Calcium bentonite has more uses in broader industries, bentonite is used in both the health and food industries as a detoxifier, improves the soil quality for agricultural purposes, and is utilized in waste treatment facilities to remove contaminants from wastewater. (PetroNaft Co Research Team, 2023). Both Calcium and Sodium bentonite are used in winemaking, sodium leaves a salt residue behind in the wine, and calcium leaves calcium (Tarziu, 2023). Bentonite is a common mineral, and because of that, there are deposits found all over the world. Most bentonite reserves can be found in the US (mostly Wyoming), China, Greece, Turkey, and India. Bentonite is usually mined and is a solid although it contains 30% moisture. During the mining process they may add sodium to aid in the creation of sodium bentonite from calcium bentonite. The mineral is then processed by being crushed, dried, and then eventually ground. If needed after being ground, bentonite may be purified or treated with acids or organics to aid the creation of special products. (Grbeš, Anamarija & Bedeković, Gordan & Sobota, Ivan,2013). In the year 2023, there was a study done in Turkey, a country that supplies over 1.5 million tons of bentonite a year, about the harmful effects of mining. One of the biggest issues exploited is the copious amounts of waste left behind in the quarries because not only is it of no value, but it also causes harm to the environment by accidentally being introduced to water
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