Our mine
Our mine is located in Redmond Utah where we have large deposits of Bentonite. Our products are shipped throughout the world.
Our mine is located in Redmond Utah where we have large deposits of Bentonite. Our products are shipped throughout the world.
Geologists tell us that dating back to the cretaceous period an ancient sea covered the majority of the state of Utah. During this time a large volcano erupted spewing volcanic ash into the air and settling into this body of water. This ash turned into sediment with unique properties that we mine here in Redmond Utah today.
The term bentonite was coined at the end of the 19th century by W.C. Knight, an American geologist, after a rocky formation near Fort Benton, where a deposit was found of a particular type of water swelling clay, called “mineral soap.” A few years earlier, around mid-19th century, a plastic clay mineral had been identified and studied in Montmorillon, France, and later called montmorillonite. Montmorillonite and bentonite are two terms for the same type of clay.
Sodium Bentonite is a natural product from the Earth. It has a variety of uses and is a great option for the environmentally conscious consumer. This natural product will not harm humans, wildlife or plant vegetation. In fact, Bentonite is used by many for its natural beauty, health and healing benefits.
Bentonite is a Montmorillonite clay which is a hydrous aluminum silicate. It is a tri-layered platelet; a central octahedral alumina (AI2O3) layer, and two tetrahedral silica (SiO2). Prevalence of sodium allows water to penetrate through the platelets forcing platelets apart thus causing the swell due to its negative charge. Prevalence of calcium has lower absorption properties, not permitting water to penetrate through the platelets, the platelets then flake off due to its strong positive charge.