Mineral Products Testing (Metallic and Non-Metallic)

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Bentonite Testing

China's bentonite industry has transitioned from primary processing to functional modification and product specialization, driven by the evolving demands for adsorption, catalysis, and suspension properties in downstream industries. In the 1980s and 1990s, relying on high-quality bentonite resources in Urad Front Banner (Inner Mongolia), Hebukesai'er (Xinjiang), Heishan (Liaoning), and other regions, the industry focused on mining and simple crushing. Products were mostly ordinary calcium-based bentonite powder (swelling volume ≤ 10 mL/g), mainly used in basic fields such as foundry binders, drilling fluid (mud) preparation, and animal feed additives, characterized by low activity, single function, and limited added value.

Since the turn of the century, demands from environmental treatment (wastewater), oil exploration (deep well drilling), the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and stricter environmental policies (e.g., implementation of green mine construction standards) have driven the industry's transformation toward purification, activation, ion exchange, and composite modification. Through sodium activation (modification) to enhance swelling properties (sodium-based bentonite swelling volume ≥ 30 mL/g), and using purification and organic modification processes, high-adsorption, high-suspension products have been developed, enabling breakthroughs in environmental wastewater treatment, high-end foundry, and cosmetic additives.

In recent years, high-end demands from new energy (binder for lithium battery anodes, energy storage materials), environmental remediation (heavy metal adsorption in soil), and high-end ceramics (plasticizers) have emerged. Coupled with the evolution of relevant standards, the industry is accelerating its upgrade toward efficient resource utilization and high-end product customization. Today, China is the world's largest producer and consumer of bentonite, with products covering the full range: calcium-based, sodium-based, organically modified, pillared modified, and others, widely used in dozens of fields including foundry, petroleum, environmental protection, new energy, and pharmaceutical cosmetics.

We have set up a dedicated bentonite mineral testing team. Based on product type and application scenario (environmental adsorption, drilling mud preparation, lithium battery binder, cosmetic raw material), we provide customized testing services—including swelling volume determination, adsorption performance testing, purity analysis, impurity screening (heavy metals, arsenic), and suspension stability—helping products build advantages in performance optimization and regulatory compliance.

Testing Products

Bentonite

Montmorillonite (Sodium / Calcium type)

Granular Bentonite for Pet Litter

Bentonite for Feed Additive

Organoclay (Organic Bentonite)

Testing Items

Viscosimeter Reading at 600 r/min (Dial reading / shear stress)

Yield Point / Plastic Viscosity Ratio (Dynamic/Plastic Viscosity Ratio)

Filtrate Loss (API fluid loss volume)

Residue on 75 μm Sieve

Plastic Viscosity after Dispersion

Filtrate Loss after Dispersion

Methylene Blue Index (MBI / Cation Exchange Capacity indicator)

Moisture, pH Value, Loss on Drying (Combined water, etc.)

Water Absorption

Swelling Volume (in specified medium)

Swelling Index

Filtration Rate (Fluid loss / filtration speed)

Wet Compressive Strength (Green compression strength, for foundry)

Hot Wet Tensile Strength (Hot wet tensile strength, for foundry)

Activity / Activation Degree

Decolorization Rate (Decolorizing power, e.g., for oils)

Free Acid Content

Adsorption Capacity for Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As)

Apparent Viscosity

Passing Rate (Sieve analysis), Magnetic Extracted Material (Magnetic content)

Shear Thinning Index

Colloid (Colloidal) Index / Colloidality, Dispersed Particle Size (Distribution)

Mineral Phases, Quartz (Cristobalite) Content

Bulk Density, Clump/Lump Strength (Hardness/Cohesiveness)

Montmorillonite Content

Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃), Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂)

Particle Size Distribution, Ammonia Absorption Value

Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Asbestos Content

Colloidal Value, Decolorizing Power (Dye adsorption / Earth number)

Activity, Free Acid, Filtration Rate (Dup/consistency)

Dust Rate, Caking Time (for pet litter / granular)

Testing Standards

Bentonite: GB/T 20973, JC/T 2059, JC/T 2057, JC/T 2058, JC/T 2060, JC/T 2061

Montmorillonite: JC/T 2578

Granular Bentonite for Pet Litter: JC/T 2055

Bentonite for Feed Additive: JC/T 2056

Organoclay (Organic Bentonite): GB/T 27798

Service Advantages

Over 20 years of specialized expertise in testing bentonite and bentonite products, precisely matching the differentiated requirements for bentonite's functional characteristics across various fields.

Extensive testing experience with all product types: sodium-based high-swelling bentonite, organically modified cosmetic-grade bentonite, binder-type bentonite for lithium batteries, and high-adsorption bentonite for environmental use. Expert in solving industry pain points such as insufficient swelling due to inadequate sodium activation, poor dispersion of organoclay, poor compatibility of lithium battery binders, and low adsorption efficiency of environmental materials.

A long-term strategic partner for leading enterprises in core bentonite resource regions (Urad Front Banner, Inner Mongolia; Hebukesai'er, Xinjiang) and key industry clusters (environmental protection in Yangtze River Delta, new energy in Pearl River Delta), earning high trust through a profound understanding of bentonite material characteristics and industrial application logic.