Refined bentonite providers in Kent,
operating nationwide
Based in Kent, Bentonite (Manufacturing & Supply) Ltd is one of the most reputable providers of bentonite materials throughout the UK. Working with industries across the UK, our company is trusted with numerous kinds of jobs and always ensures they are completed to the highest possible standard. With unique, bespoke equipment at our disposal, Bentonite (Manufacturing & Supply) Ltd in Kent are able to supply a variety of private and public sector clients with premium bentonite products suitable for a wide range of applications.
What is bentonite?
Bentonite is a colloid-rich soft rock which consists of clay minerals. It is produced by the weathering of volcanic tuff or ash. The main component of bentonite is the clay mineral montmorillonite, together with associated minerals including quartz, tridymite, cristobalite, mica, feldspar, pyrite and calcite.
The mineral is mined from various locations across the world before being ground to form a powder. Various additives may be added to the bentonite to enhance its performance.
Bentonite expands when wet, absorbing as much as 17 times its dry mass in water. This allows bentonite to permeate cracks and crevices, forming a self-sealing low permeability barrier – this is known as a bentonite slurry wall.
Bentonite was given its name by Wilbur C. Knight in 1898, after the Cretaceous Benton Shale near Rock River, Wyoming
Information about bentonite
● Bentonite is pre-blended to ensure consistency.
● The bentonite is mixed in a colloidal mixer to ensure that it is mixed thoroughly.
● Bentonite can be pumped into voids over long distances.
● We are able to control how quickly the bentonite hardens to allow flexibility of installation.
● Bentonite is very economical as there is only 85-300 kilograms of powder per m3 in the final slurry.
● Bentonite has excellent sealing properties – the permeability is from 1×10 -6 per second.
● It has a wide variety of strengths to match the surrounding ground 10 – >1400 Kpa (1.3 N/mm2).
● It is a good plasticiser; the semi plastic final set allows reworking of grout area.
● Our bentonite has undergone independent testing for quality assurance.
The many uses of bentonite
Bentonite is incredibly useful as drilling mud for oil and gas industries due to the expansion properties it possesses. Bentonite slurry water is pumped and mixed with additives; the fluid then rises back up along the outside of the drill and removes drill cuttings. The binding of the bentonite to the cuttings significantly aids the removal of debris and prevents corrosion on the drill. Bentonite provides a non-permeable seal to drill holes; this prevents rupture and seepage in the future. Bentonite can be used:
● To fill voids and prevents water ingress or gas build up.
● Cover cables in bentonite to control heat buildup and prevent cable rupture.
● To create cut off walls to prevent migration of contaminants such as water and hydrocarbons.
● As a useful alternative or supplement to clay fill or leak repairs in dam walls.
● For the stabilisation of canal banks.
● To create bund walls around sensitive installations.
● As an environmentally safe pond sealant, as it expands and forms an impermeable gel seal.
● To infill underground abandoned sewers.
● In land fill and capping.
Use in construction and civil engineering projects
Bentonite is traditionally used as a thixotropic support and a lubricating agent in construction and civil engineering projects. It is utilised in diaphragm walls, foundations, tunnelling, horizontal direct drilling, cut off walls and pipe jacking. Additionally, it can act as a barrier against contaminated water or hydrocarbons. If you are taking on any projects of this nature, rest assured that you will have a highly experienced team behind you all the way with Bentonite (Manufacturing & Supply) Ltd.
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01474 825 045 or request a call back: