Italclay

About Bentonite

Amazing Bentonite: safe, natural, powerful clay

"We can state that bentonite is the most interesting raw material of our times": Eng. Francesco Savelli, discoverer of first italian bentonite deposits

Introducing Terrae

Terrae is a blend of purified, high grade Natural Sodium Bentonite, selected by Italclay. It has the ideal balance between Montmorillonite content, swelling index and chemical resistance. Pure, light brown color, odorless and tasteless, granular or micronized.
That's what's inside of our line of waterproofing products (Watershield, Geoshield and Hyperstop series), with the goal to bring the bentonite technology to bring to civil construction the amazing properties of Bentonite. Italclay products use Terrae: our awarded, first grade Natural Sodium Bentonite.

What is Bentonite

Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate consisting mostly of montmorillonite. It usually forms from weathering of volcanic ash, most often in the presence of water. It's a very common clay and it can be easily found in most parts of the world. For industrial purposes, two main classes of bentonite exist: sodium and calcium bentonite. Sodium Bentonite have unique properties: it expands when wet, and it can absorb several times its dry weight in water. Besides, at very low conentration (~60 grams of bentonite per litre of suspension) it can forms a gel.

bentonite3

The base of the next-generation of waterproofing products

The property of swelling makes Natural Sodium Bentonite the ideal sealant: powerful, totally ecological and chemically stable. Waterproofing projects with bentonite based products has been succesfully carried out in the most critical conditions: to seal highly toxic leachate, rocket propellant, and even on the subsurface of spent nuclear fuel. That's what's inside of our new line of waterproofing products (Watershield and Hyperstop series), with the goal to bring the bentonite technology to the residential construction market. Italclay products use Terrae: our awarded, first grade Natural Sodium Bentonite.

bentonite7 bentonite8 bentonite4

Safe and versatile

Bentonite is also used in cement, adhesives, ceramic bodies, and cat litter. As a binding agent in the manufacture of taconite pellets as used in the steelmaking industry. As an ingredient in commercially designed clay bodies and ceramic glazes. Bentonite clay is also used in pyrotechnics to make end plugs and rocket nozzles, and can also be used as a therapeutic face pack for the treatment of acne/oily skin.

bentonite6 bentonite5 bentonite9