BENTONITE AND BENTONITE PROCESSING

“Sodium  bentonite  is  the name for  the  ore  whose  major constituent   is  the  clay  mineral,   sodium   montmorillonite. Montmorillonites  are  three-layer  minerals  consisting  of  two tetrahedral  layers sandwiched around a central octahedral  layer (Figure  1).  Oxide  anions  at the  apices  of  the  tetrahedral subunits  are  directed  inward  where  they  surround   interior aluminum,  iron  and  magnesium  cations,  thereby  forming   the octahedral subunits of the octahedral layer. Bonding, between the shared  interior  oxide  anions  and  the  cations  in  both  the
tetrahedral and the octahedral layers, links the layers  together and  yields  the unique sheet structure  characteristic  of  clay minerals.   For  montmorillonite,  the  total   negative   charge contributed  to the structure by the sum of all the oxide  anions (O=)  is  somewhat  in  excess  of  the  total  positive   charge contributed by the sum of all the structural cations (Si+4, Al+3, Fe+2, Fe+3, Mg+2) and imparts a slight overall negative charge to the  surfaces  of the clay sheets. This  slight  excess  negative charge   on   the  sheets  is  counterbalanced   by   free-moving (exchangeable)  cations  which exist between  them.  These  three layers  in  each sheet comprise  individual  bentonite  platelets which  are  typically  1 nm in thickness  and  0,2-2  microns  in diameter.  Dry  platelets of sodium bentonite are  most  commonly grouped together in a face-to-face arrangement, with exchangeable cations  and  small amounts of adsorbed wares  in  an  interlayer region  between  each platelet. The thickness of  the  interlayer region  is  variable depending on the amount  of  water  adsorbed between the platelets.”

PROJECT REPORT COVERS:

•         Introduction
•         Uses and Applications
•         Properties
•         Market Survey with future aspects
•         Present Manufacturers
•         B.I.S. Specifications
•         Manufacturing Process with Formulae
•        Cost Economics with Profitability Analysis
•         Capacity
•         Land & Building Requirements with Rates
•         List & Details of Plant and Machinery with their Costs
•         Raw Materials
•         Details/List and Costs
•         Power & Water Requirements
•         Labour/Staff Requirements
•         Utilities and Overheads
•         Total Capital Investment
•         Turnover
•         Cost of Production
•         Break Even Point
•         Profitability
•         Land Man Ratio
•         Suppliers of Plant & Machineries and Raw Materials.