Bentonite Clay | Organoclay Rheological Additive

Today we are glad to share some knowledge about organophilic clay bentonite clay with you. We will talk about some applications of organoclay in coatings and also some applications of hectorite organoclay in various industries. 

Because in general, organoclay bentonite is a product with a wide range of applications.

Therefore, organic bentonite is not only used in coatings and paints, but also widely used in daily necessities, bentonite clay in cosmetics,  bentonite used in drilling mud | drilling bentonite | bentonite uses in oil industry, bentonite grease, and ink field.

Nowadays, organic bentonite is widely used in some cosmetics, especially in the field of color cosmetics. Therefore, it is a kind of chemical substance with relatively wide use.

Therefore, as an additive, the amount of organic bentonite clay added is relatively small. Therefore, when organic bentonite is used in various industries, only a very small amount of addition is needed to achieve very significant results.

All the following information is provided directly by organophilic clay suppliers | organoclay supplier Zhejiang Camp Shinning New Material Co.Ltd

First, let’s talk about the areas where organic bentonite is widely used. By far the most widespread use of bentonite would be in coatings.

so let’s talk about the use of bentonite in coatings first. In coatings, organic bentonite is widely used in both solvent-based and water-based coatings.

Classification of bentonite raw materials

We have to mention that the main component of bentonite is montmorillonite, and the purity of montmorillonite will directly affect the performance of bentonite.

In other words, the quality of bentonite is closely related to the location of its raw ore.

Of course, we say that montmorillonite is one of its main components, and organic bentonite also contains some other substances, which will not be detailed here. bentonite slurry wall construction.

From the classification of bentonite, it can be classified from different latitudes. In the industry, we generally divide it into sodium-based bentonite and  calcium bentonite clay.

Currently, calcium bentonite clay powder accounts for more than 90% of the raw bentonite clay worldwide, and even more specifically in the entire Asian region.

organophilic clay manufacturing process

However, it has to be said that the properties of calcium bentonite clay powder are limited in practical use and it is not the most ideal chemical for us.

Therefore, we have to sodium it through a replacement reaction. That is, replacing calcium ions with sodium ions, an operation process that can become sodium bentonite.

Organophilic clay chemistry type

So in short, the raw material we use for bentonite is calcium-based bentonite , but after the sodification process, it becomes sodium bentonite.

So sodium bentonite is by far the most commonly used raw material in our industry, including in coatings.

Of course, there is another very important raw material, which is lithium bentonite, which is widely used in the production of coatings.

By the way, we would like to mention lithium bentonite. It has another form, magnesium aluminum silicate, which is actually a form of lithium bentonite, and their chemical composition is the same.

Only the production process is different. Lithium bentonite is actually a primary mineral. It is excavated, refined and modified, and then processed before it can be used.

Removing impurities is also a very important step. Some lithium bentonites can be used directly, while others need to be modified before they can be used.

Lithium bentonite is widely used in the production of lithium magnesium silicate in water-in-water for colorful coatings. At present, when coated with colorful coating water, the raw mineral itself is not clear enough to be used directly.

It must be made into lithium magnesium silicate. So for water-in-water color coating mixed deposits, mainly synthetic lithium magnesium silicate is used.

The use process of bentonite.

There are many different processes for the use of bentonite, and as we mentioned earlier, sodization is one of them. Therefore, in addition to chemical treatment, there is another method, which is organic modification.

Organic bentonite can improve its dispersibility when used in coatings. So there are two types of bentonite: organic and inorganic.

What organic component you choose for post-treatment, the process of this treatment determines whether it is suitable for oil-based or water-based systems when you use it later. In other words, although they use the same raw mineral, their processing is different.

Now let’s talk about the viscosity of organic bentonite. So the factors that determine the viscosity of organic bentonite include the amount you add and the system you use.

Because bentonite itself has no viscosity, it depends on the amount of additives you use and the type of system you’re adding to, such as water-based and solvent-based systems. The viscosity it gives you is completely different.

What ingredients you should use to treat the organophilic bentonite and what organic compounds you should use is the key factor in deciding whether it’s a water based or oil based system.

That’s why the mainstream treatment method is currently using quaternary ammonium salts.

There are many types of quaternary ammonium salts on the market, consisting of four groups of constituents.

Therefore, the choice of which type of quaternary ammonium salt to use will determine whether we use it for water-based or oil-based coatings.

Packing: bentonite 25kg ,or bentonite clay 50 lbs

Where to buy bentonite clay? Buy bentonite clay powder 

Our most direct suggestion for you is to buy bentonite clay in China. Camp Shinning We are a high quality manufacturer and supplier of bentonite clay.

Where to buy bentonite clay? I hope this answer can satisfy you.

 We hope that all the information today will give you more confidence in your knowledge when buy bentonite clay.

I hope you can purchase the best bentonite clay in China. Of course, so called  best bentonite clay, but in fact, its scope factors are very broad.

 Pre gel grade organoclay and easily dispersed organo bentonite clay.

Pre gel treatment is recommended for organoclay.  

Many montmorillonites are lamellar, that is why we recommend you to do pre-gel, because such a session is necessary to operate so that the lamellar structure of the bentonite is completely opened. So what is the lamellar structure?

It’s like we have a book with many pages, and our bentonite has many such lamellar structures, just like the pages of the book. So the difference between montmorillonite and lithium-based montmorillonite is that montmorillonite has relatively more flakes.

Lithium-based montmorillonite has relatively less flakes. Based on this, so lithium-based montmorillonite will have more expansion.

This is why many customers choose to use lithium bentonite in their coatings, which can better demonstrate the effectiveness of one of his anti-settling properties.

Including its antioxidant properties, it is also based on its greater swelling multiplier and more explicit properties.

If your coating is in a static state during application, it is generally in a low shear state. However, during the construction process, it is generally in high shear.

Therefore, under low shear conditions, the viscosity of lithium-based montmorillonite is higher. Under high shear conditions, its viscosity is lower. Lithium-based montmorillonite has better anti-sagging properties.

Conventional organic bentonite can also be divided into pre-gel type organic bentonite and easily dispersible organic bentonite.

Usually, when we treat dispersed organic bentonite organically, it makes the interlayer spacing larger. Conventional organic bentonite has a spacing between its conversion of about 26I and easily dispersible organic bentonite has an interlayer spacing of about 40I, which is equivalent to about 4nm.

Some of the water-based organic clay currently used in the market. We strongly recommend to do gel treatment.

Then, for conventional organic bentonite, we recommend a bonding treatment with dispersible organic clay powder, which can be added directly with dry powder.

Then for conventional montmorillonite . The sodium treatment is done first. That is, first replace the sodium ions with calcium ions. It is turned into sodium-based bentonite.

The sodium based bentonite is organically modified by the addition of quaternary ammonium salts.

In this way, the quaternary ammonium salts adhere between the layers. These quaternary ammonium salts improve their compatibility in coatings.

When choosing quaternary ammonium salts, if organic bentonite is used in solvent-based coatings, then I would choose quaternary ammonium salts that are more lipophilic for modification.

Adding quaternary ammonium salts opens each layer and prevents double adsorption between each layer. The bentonite has some hydroxyl groups on the side of the bentonite, and the thickening of the bentonite is dependent on these hydroxyl groups.

First, we recommend to make a high speed dispersion of solvent and bentonite. Then add activator. For activators, we generally recommend methanol and ethanol.

Propylene carbonate is also a good activator, and we also recommend traditional chemical activators. Of course, the majority of customers currently choose alcohol as an activator. After adding the activator, we will tell you to disperse at high speed.

There is a big difference between oil based organo clay and water-based organophilic clays in making pre-gel. Like oil-based bentonite, we usually make pre-gel of about 10%.

But the concentration of water-based bentonite and its pre-gel are different. Like some models of water-based bentonite can reach 2.5% pregel, while some models can reach 14-5% pregel. So the exact concentration of pregel can be determined by experiment.

Therefore, when making pregel for aqueous specialty organophilic clay product, we recommend to use 10% organic bentonite and 90% water, from which some anti-mildew agent and ammonia can be added, so that the amine can play a better thixotropic effect after adding.

The addition of amine can produce a better swelling effect.

Some types of organic bentonite are already sterilized during the process. Organic bentonite treated in this way is less likely to form mold.

Now let’s talk about the process of adding organic bentonite to oil-based coatings.

 We especially emphasize that when using organic bentonite, dispersants must be added in a later step.

If you are doing a pre-gel, it does not matter if the dispersant is added before or after the organic bentonite is added. However, if you are using some easily dispersed organic bentonite added directly in dry powder, we recommend that you add the dispersant in the step after adding the activator.

Here many people may not understand why the dispersant must be added after the activator is added. Let’s explain here.

So when we add dry powder directly to the formulation and use organic bentonite that is easily dispersed, we also need to add the dispersant later, which means you need to disperse it by shearing it at high speed before adding the dispersant.

You add some solvent to it and then you shear it at high speed before you add the dispersant. So in conclusion we would say that we do not recommend adding bentonite with other pigments and fillers.

So that’s true in water-based coatings as well. We recommend to do pre-gel first and then add dispersant and other pigment fillers after high speed shearing.

The purpose of this step is to avoid other additives encapsulating the flake structure of the bentonite so that it cannot be fully dispersed.

 We did a lot of experiments and the final comparative result was that the thixotropy and anti-sagging properties became poor when the dispersant was added in front, especially at low shear.

In solvent-based formulations, the increase in viscosity is mainly produced by organic bentonite.

However, in some waterborne coatings, when you add bentonite, its viscosity, especially the apparent viscosity, does not increase significantly.

In other words, it provides more of a low shear viscosity. So many users say that oil based bentonite contributes more to the apparent viscosity of paint coatings, while water-based bentonite does not contribute as significantly to the apparent viscosity as solvent-based organic bentonite.

What is bentonite clay

An organo bentonite rheological additive in some commonly used powder coatings. It is mainly organic bentonite. Obviously, most types of organic bentonite have a great influence on gloss.

Of course, some higher priced organic bentonite with smaller particle size and better fineness will have relatively less effect on the gloss.

For this reason, the vast majority of our organic bentonite models are mostly used for coatings and their primers. Because organic bentonite has a great influence on its gloss and transparency.

Therefore, it is less often used in topcoats. The most obvious advantage of organic bentonite is that when added, it has a very significant thickening effect.

At the same time, the cost effectiveness is also very high. Its unit price is relatively cheap. The price of ordinary organic bentonite is usually between ten and twenty dollars.

From the traditional point of view, organic bentonite is divided into organic bentonite that needs to be pre-gel type and organic bentonite that is easy to disperse.

Easily dispersible organic bentonite has a relatively large crystalline structure. This makes it very easy to disperse.

This easy to disperse organic bentonite has opened its flake structure during the process, so he does not need to add any activator. He can be ground directly with other powders by adding dry powder.

It can be used directly during this high speed dispersion process. Our biggest recommendation is that when using organic bentonite clay, it must be sheared at high speed to disperse it fully.

because the better you grind it, the more pronounced it presents. In other words, its thixotropic, anti-settling properties will be more pronounced. So the finer we grind it, the better it will be.

For more information, such as organophilic clay msds, please contact our sales directly.

organophilic clay hs code : 2508.1000

What is bentonite used for ?

Obvious, bentonita is mainly used for cosmetics, grease bentonite lubricant, bentonite drilling mud, paints, coatings, inks,bentonite slurry /
slurry bentonite and so on.Bentonite is suspending agent.