Products Description
montmorillonite gets its name from the city of Montmorillon in France. Montmorillonite is a layered clay mineral composed of extremely fine hydrated aluminosilicates, also known as kaolinite or microcrystalline kaolinite. It is mostly formed by the alteration of igneous rocks such as volcanic tuff in an alkaline environment. Some others are the products of the decomposition of volcanic ash deposited on the seabed.
Clay rock with montmorillonite as its main component is called bentonite. The term "bentonite" originated from Benton, a clay-producing area in Wyoming, USA. It is also known as "bentonite" or "bentonite rock". The content of montmorillonite in bentonite is generally above 65%, and in high-grade ones, it ranges from 85% to 90%. The sodium or calcium content of montmorillonite determines the properties of bentonite. Pure bentonite is relatively rare. Most of them contain varying amounts of impurities, such as quartz, feldspar, mica, zeolite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite, etc. Bentonite raw ore is often cryptocrystalline in block or earthy form. The montmorillonite crystals within it are very fine, mostly 0.2 to 1 micrometer in size, and have colloidal dispersion characteristics.
Montmorillonite presents various colors such as brick red, white, deep purple, light grayish white, light pinkish white and light green due to the changes in the content of ions such as iron, calcium, manganese and sodium in its crystal structure. The Mohs hardness is 2 to 2.5, and the relative density is 2 to 2.7. It is extremely soft and has a slippery feel. When the temperature reaches 100 to 200 degrees Celsius, montmorillonite will gradually lose water. Montmorillonite that has lost water can still reabsorb water molecules or other polar molecules.
Montmorillonite and other clay minerals have similar appearances and are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Swelling when water is added is one of its main distinguishing features. After absorbing water, it can expand and exceed its original volume several times or even more than ten times, turning into flocculent or paste substances, and has strong adsorption capacity and cation exchange performance. It should be noted that for an accurate identification of it, techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis, thermal analysis, chemical analysis and infrared spectroscopy analysis are still required.
Montmorillonite in nature is mostly found in bentonite ores. It can also be said that the search for montmorillonite is the search for bentonite ores. The strength of bentonite mineralization depends on the symbiotic combination of the characteristics of its parent rock and the sediment itself. The corresponding alkaline water medium conditions play an important role in montmorillonite. The genesis types of bentonite ores are diverse, mainly including volcanic sedimentary type, weathered residual type and hydrothermal type.
Volcanic sedimentary types include three subtypes: continental volcanic sedimentary, Marine volcanic sedimentary and quasi-plain colloid condensation. This type is widely distributed in our country. Its representative deposit areas include Pingshan in Zhejiang Province, Heishan in Liaoning Province, Xintan in Anhui Province, Hongquan in Gansu Province, etc.
The weathered residual bentonite ore layer is thick, stable in position and of good quality. The parent rocks of the mineralization are various volcanic glassy lava and clastic rocks. After weathering, montmorillonite is enriched in the residues, and then bentonite deposits are formed through later diagenesis. Representative deposit areas of this type include Qiushan in Zhejiang Province, Xintan in Anhui Province, Yinshan in Jilin Province, Hu Chaobao in Hubei Province, and Shangling in Heping, Guangdong Province, etc.
Hydrothermal types include post-magmatic hydrothermal alteration deposits of volcanic materials and post-diagenetic hydrothermal alteration deposits. The hydrothermal alteration of the former is caused by the fluid in the igneous rock parent rock and has nothing to do with the external hydrothermal. The hydrothermal alteration of the latter is related to the external hydrothermal fluid guided out by the fissure. Such deposits in our country are relatively few and account for a small proportion of the reserves. This type of representative mining site is located in the area of Chating - Pingqiao, Liyang County, Jiangsu Province.
The crushers produced by our Fangyuan Machinery can crush montmorillonite into fine powder and be used in various industries. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.
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