Bentonite Supplier & Exporter — Drilling, Foundry and Feed Grade Clay
Al₂O₃·4SiO₂·nH₂O Montmorillonite Clay · MMT 65 – 86%
Six processed grades of bentonite off one montmorillonite deposit — drilling clay with a 40-point gel index, foundry binder, feed and bedding grades, earthing backfill, and the carrier grade used to pastille sulphur bentonite fertilizer. Each grade is milled and screened to its own physical specification, with a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis per shipment.
MMT ≥ 65%
Supply capability at a glance
> 86%
Montmorillonite, milled grades
25 MT
MOQ — bagged (1 × 20ft)
7–14 days
Lead time, standard grades
Per batch
Certificate of Analysis
Physical Properties
Formula
Al₂O₃·4SiO₂·nH₂O
Mineral
Montmorillonite
CAS No.
1302-78-9
Mohs Hardness
1.0 – 2.0
Cation Exchange
63 – 110 meq/100 g
Moisture
4 – 8%
Synonyms: Bentonite Clay, Sodium Bentonite, Calcium Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Fuller’s Earth, Drilling Clay · EINECS 215-108-5 · Cream to pale-grey powder or granule; swells and forms a thixotropic gel in water.
Grades & Chemical Analysis
Six grades off the same deposit. Drilling and foundry clay run the higher-iron chemistry; feed, earthing and bedding grades run the low-iron, high-silica chemistry and differ on water absorption, swelling and grading. Select a grade to view its full analysis.
Drilling Grade — Water-based mud viscosifier
Drilling Bentonite
- Montmorillonite
- 65 – 67%
- Gel Index, 24 h
- 40
- Gel Index, 8 h
- 33
- Swelling Index, 2 h (2 g)
- 31 – 35
- Passing 0.075 mm / 200 mesh
- 99%
- Moisture
- 6 – 8%
- SiO₂
- 57.58%
- Al₂O₃
- 13.30%
- Fe₂O₃
- 6.09%
- MgO / CaO / Na₂O
- 2.80% / 2.38% / 2.78%
- TiO₂ / K₂O
- 0.69% / 0.29%
- Loss on Ignition
- 12.66%
The feed, earthing and bedding grades are milled from the same low-iron seam and therefore share one chemical analysis; they are separated on water absorption, swelling and grading. Values are typical specification ranges; a batch-specific CoA is issued per shipment.
Bentonite Grades — Physical Comparison
The properties that actually decide which grade fits a job: how much water the clay takes up, how far it swells, and how finely it is ground.
| Grade | Water Absorption | Swelling | Grading | Cation Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drilling | — | 31 – 35 (2 h index) | 99% < 0.075 mm | — |
| Foundry | — | — | Milled powder | — |
| Feed & Poultry | 680 – 750% | 22 – 25 mL/2 g | 400 mesh | 100 – 110 meq/100 g |
| Earthing | 300 – 700% | 22 – 25 mL/2 g | 400 mesh | 100 – 110 meq/100 g |
| Bedding | 560 – 580% | 17 – 20 mL/2 g | 1.5 – 3.5 mm | 63 meq/100 g |
| Sulphur Carrier | — | — | Milled powder | — |
Dashes mark properties that are not part of that grade’s acceptance test set — drilling clay is judged on gel and swelling index, foundry clay on green and dry compression strength.
Bespoke Production
Need a different mesh, activation or gel index?
If none of the grades above matches your target chemistry, fineness, or packaging, tell us your requirements — we produce custom grades to your exact specification.
Applications
Bentonite earns its keep on one property — a plate-shaped clay particle that swells, holds water and exchanges cations. What changes between grades is how much.
Drilling Fluids
Viscosifier and filtration-control clay in water-based muds and HDD.
Foundry Green Sand
Binder giving green and dry compression strength in moulding sand.
Iron Ore Pelletizing
Binder holding green pellets together before induration.
Animal Feed
Pellet binder, anti-caking agent and mycotoxin binder.
Earthing & Grounding
Low-resistivity backfill around earth rods and grounding pits.
Civil Engineering
Slurry walls, tunnelling, pond lining and geosynthetic clay liners.
Sulphur Bentonite Fertilizer
Carrier clay that swells and disperses the sulphur pastille in soil.
Cat Litter & Bedding
Clumping granular absorbent for animal bedding.
Beverage & Oil Clarification
Protein removal in wine and juice; bleaching earth for edible oils.
Packaging, Logistics & Trading Terms
How we mill, bag, certify and ship bentonite. Terms can be adapted by agreement — tell us what your operation needs.
- Minimum Order Quantity
- 1 × 20 ft container (approx. 25 MT) bagged. 500 MT minimum for bulk vessel. Trial quantities available for qualification.
- Packaging
- 25 kg and 50 kg PP bags, 1–1.5 MT woven jumbo bags, or bulk. Feed and bedding grades can be supplied with a moisture-barrier liner.
- Incoterms & Loading Ports
- EXW, FOB, CFR and CIF (Incoterms® 2020). Standard loading at Bandar Abbas and Bandar Imam Khomeini; other ports by arrangement.
- Quality Certification
- Batch-specific CoA with every shipment covering montmorillonite content, water absorption, swelling, grading and moisture. Feed grade adds a heavy-metal panel. SGS / Bureau Veritas inspection at buyer’s cost.
- Lead Time
- 7–14 days for standard grades after order confirmation; 15–25 days for custom-milled or specially packed material.
- Storage & Handling
- Store under cover on pallets, away from standing water. Bentonite is hygroscopic — bags that take on moisture cake and lose swelling capacity, which is the one property every grade is bought for. Correctly stored it has no shelf-life limit.
Certificate of Analysis
A batch-specific CoA is issued with every shipment. Third-party inspection by SGS, Bureau Veritas or an inspector of your choice can be arranged at the buyer’s cost.
Ready to quote
Send us your grade, tonnage, destination port and packaging and we will return a firm FOB/CFR/CIF price with lead time.
Request a Bentonite Quote