China’s bentonite industry has room to grow
By Albert Li
Published: Monday, 25 January 2016
China is believed to host the world’s largest reserves of calcium bentonite, but a lack of sophisticated beneficiation technology has kept the sector’s value low. Albert Li, IM Analyst, discovers how some of the country’s top researchers are seeking to tackle this issue with new technology.
China’s bentonite industry has plenty of room
for improvement. Although there is little in the way of
reliable data illustrating Chinese production of the clay
mineral, used principally in drilling muds, cat litter and iron
ore pelletisation, the US Geological Survey’s
(USGS) most recent Mineral Yearbook on clays estimates
that...