Technical & Sales SupportA key component of MTI's strength is our advanced laboratory facilities and our team of highly qualified and experienced staff. Our laboratories located at Hoffman Estates, IL and at the bentonite processing plants serves to support exploration, mining
What is "Bentonite"
Bentonite is essentially a high swelling clay mineral whose name was derived from the location of the first commercial deposits mined at Fort Benton, Wyoming U.S.A.
Geologically bentonites are mainly of volcanic origin and can date to Cretaceous or even Jurassic ages, i.e. the period of ammonites and dinosaurs. The majority of commercial deposits were formed by the hydrolysis of volcanic rock or ash and are found in every continent except Antarctica. Mineralogically, bentonite principally consists of montmorillonite in combination with 10 to 20
The structure of montmorillonite is fundamentally a three layer "flake" or "platelet" with an octahedral
Attractive surfaces between the surface oxygen atoms of the silica tetrahedra and the hydrogen atoms of the water molecules develop. This allows the hexagonal water structure to build up and form a rigid network made up of many water layers. The water structure extends outward from the platelet surface further increasing the separation of platelets.