Numerous industries have the potential to produce large amounts of wastewater that are highly contaminated with organic matter, dissolved nutrients, and other pollutants. In this case, different substances act as coagulants and adsorbents to purify the water; among them, bentonite holds a special place. Water treatment bentonite has many uses because of its high specific surface area, mechanical and chemical stability, and surface and structural properties. It aids in the purification of aqueous solutions containing organic contaminants and makes the wastewater usable again.
Iran Bentonite Co. is a reputable producer of water treatment bentonite that uses high-quality raw materials, cutting-edge tools, and skilled technicians to provide a perfect outcome for in-demand companies. Customers everywhere can count on this Iran bentonite manufacturer for water purification bentonite and even other grades of this precious substance. All products of this Iran bentonite supplier meet international certificates, which means you can rely on them for their high quality and functionality. Please, get in touch with our experts to learn more about the properties of water treatment bentonite and Iran bentonite Co. transportation and packing methods.
What is Bentonite?
Bentonite is a brand name for various natural clays that have a high capacity to absorb water, which causes them to swell and expand. The main component of bentonite is montmorillonite, a clay mineral from the smectites family of phyllosilicates. It could either be Na- or Ca-montmorillonite. Compared to Ca-montmorillonite, Na-montmorillonite has a far higher potential for swelling.
Along with montmorillonite, bentonites can also contain a range of auxiliary minerals. Along with non-clay minerals, including quartz, feldspar, calcite, and gypsum, these may also contain smaller amounts of other clay minerals, such as kaolin, mica, and illite. The quality of the bentonite and, thus, its uses rely on whether it contains any of these additional minerals.
Bentonite, a clay that swells, may absorb much water, increasing its volume to an eight-fold factor. Bentonite beds are therefore unsuited for building and road construction. However, the swelling property is advantageous in the drilling mud and groundwater sealants. The mineral montmorillonite/smectite, composed of minute platy grains, is an aluminum phyllosilicate and is the main component of bentonite. This substance is a useful adsorbent since it increases the clay’s overall surface area to a very high level. Additionally, when moist, the plates stick to one another. It provides the clay a cohesiveness that makes it effective as a binder and an additive to enhance the flexibility of kaolinite clay used for pottery. All in all, based on its physiochemical properties, bentonite functions in many industries, such as:
- Farming;
- The paint industry;
- Civil engineering;
- Pet litter and bedding material;
- Paper industry.
What is Water treatment Bentonite?
One of the most vital natural resources is water. In the course of industrialization, urbanization, and human activity, many toxins find their way to the water. Natural organic matter, heavy metals, herbicides, dye, and insecticides make the water unbearably harmful to consume by humans. These contaminants may negatively impact both human health and aquatic ecosystems. As a result, the use of more efficient, affordable, reliable methods for wastewater treatment that have less influence on the environment and people’s health has increased with the development of technology.
Different water treatment methods
The wastewater produced by diverse businesses is treated by water purification. It involves using a wide range of techniques, including active sludge, bioremediation, photodegradation, microfiltration, coagulation-flocculation, Fenton-oxidation, adsorption, and electrocoagulation.
Coagulation-flocculation is one of these that has drawn a lot of interest due to its high elimination efficiency. Surface water and industrial wastewater treatment both need the use of coagulation. Its application includes the addition of coagulants to water as a means of removing dissolved chemical species and turbidity. A coagulant is a chemical that, when dissolved, produces ions with ionic charges different from those of the turbid colloidal particles found in water. Coagulants create a jelly-like, spongy mass known as a flock by neutralizing the charges on the colloidal particles. Flocculation significantly increases the density and size of coagulated particles, effectively speeding up the rate at which the particles settle in a solution or wastewater.
Water Treatment Bentonite as a Coagulant
Although coagulants work well, there are drawbacks to their use, including:
- The inability to work in low-temperature water;
- Relatively high procurement costs;
- Adverse effects on human health;
- The production of large amounts of sludge;
- Significant impact on the pH of treated water.
Using clay material for these chemical coagulants is preferable to get around this issue. Today, lowering the cost of flocculants and coagulants and safely utilizing sludge are environmentalists’ top concerns. In this case, bentonite has gained popularity and is frequently used as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment that contains pathogenic bacteria, organic debris, heavy metals, and nutrients. Because of this material’s wide chemically active surface area, specific grades, such as water purification bentonite, have been able to adsorb organic materials, particularly for substances containing amides, amines, and polysaccharides.
Bentonite is a less expensive, locally accessible substance that offers practical methods. Aluminum, iron, and clay are the main components of bentonite, which is used to clean wastewater. It is the best coagulant since it is more affordable and environmentally benign than chemical-based coagulants, which damage the environment. So, there are various reasons for using Bentonite Clay as a Flocculant and Coagulant in water purification.
Different Grades of Water Treatment Bentonite
Bentonite falls into two categories: calcium bentonite and sodium bentonite. The high-swelling variety of sodium bentonite is made from volcanic ash and is found in marine environments. Calcium bentonite, less reactive to swelling, is made from volcanic ash and is located in freshwater environments. There are also other grades of bentonite that are subgrades of these two main types. Bentonite manufacturers present these grades for various applications this substance holds. More precisely, they’re products specifically designed for their application since natural bentonite is unsuitable for certain applications.
Because of their hydrophilicity, bentonites are ineffective at adsorbing organic substances or Bentonite Clay as a Flocculant. In this case, manufacturers increase the adsorption capacity of the substance by physically or chemically altering the surface. Organic molecules are physically impregnated and chemically grafted onto clay surfaces. Inorganic solid acids applied at high temperatures can boost the adsorption capacity. As a result, wastewater treatment Bentonite is produced. This unique grade has undergone physical, chemical, and inorganic acid treatment and possesses a more remarkable ability for adsorption than raw bentonite.
Various manufacturers produce this clay as a flocculant. These products may hold different amounts of purity and other names; for instance, it is also called water purification bentonite or coagulant bentonite. It is advised that customers buy these grades from a reliable producer since some factory outcomes do not meet international standards and exhibit inferior properties.
Water Treatment Bentonite Production Process
As mentioned in the previous section, Iran bentonite manufacturers (So-called Иран производитель бентонита in the Russian language) tend to produce bentonite grades, such as water treatment bentonite. Each producer utilizes particular tools and unique methods to present a high-purity product. Still, these processes share some stages. The steps below are usually involved in the production of bentonite:
- Ore mining;
- Sodium activation (In some products);
- Drying;
- Milling.
It is necessary to perform sodium activation in order to change calcium bentonite into sodium bentonite, which involves the replacement of calcium ions with sodium carbonates.
Although bentonite processing is generally straightforward, special attention must be given to choosing the right size reduction device because of its high affinity for absorbing moisture. The effectiveness of primary size reduction in crushers using impact as the principal mechanism of comminution may be compromised if the raw bentonite includes a substantial amount of moisture. Typically, roller crushers are a viable option for the initial crushing of wet and sticky materials since they can break up huge blocks of clay into smaller pieces for further processing, thanks to their mainly designed toothed rollers.
The Drying and Milling Stage
The following steps in the production of bentonite are milling and drying in a rotary kiln. The mill each producer chooses will determine the processes in what order. The crushed material is dried before milling if the mill is moisture sensitive. The material generated may be of sufficient wetness for the finished product if the chosen mill is of the ring roller mill type or fluid energy mill type that uses an air stream or fluidized bed to accelerate drying and conveying. Otherwise, after grinding, bentonite can be dried.
The ideal dryer must fulfill three requirements:
- Keep the material’s temperature below 205°C.
- Move it around to encourage its dispersed form.
- Keep it there for the appropriate amount of time.
- Because the desirable qualities of bentonite are sensitive to high drying temperatures and overdrying, the ideal dryer must also satisfy other parameters specific to each grade. Material that has been dried is sieved, air sorted, and silo-stored. The small grain class is agglomerated if a greater grain size is needed.
Water Treatment Bentonite Applications
The industry’s use of bentonite depends entirely on its responsiveness to various substances, including water, organic compounds, amines, etc. These features helped define the use of bentonite in various industrial applications, including paint, refining industrial and edible oils, chemicals, oil and gas well drilling, industrial adhesives, and many other products. As a result, each grade of bentonite is produced to serve a specific industry.
Water treatment or water purification bentonite is a crucial grade of this multipurpose clay that is used in wastewater treatment as an adsorbent and coagulant. A crucial characteristic for the treatment and purification of process water, wastewater, and effluents is bentonite’s high adsorption capability. When used with flocculation agents, bentonite agglomerates colloidal components and filler materials into stable flocs that are simple to skim following micro flotation or sedimentation. It helps the environment and encourages cost savings for our clients.
Given its capacity to facilitate the adsorption of cationic species like Pb2+ and Cu2+, as well as an acid dye, bentonite has been identified as a promising adsorbent for water softening. Because bentonite’s natural form does not reach high removal effectiveness, it is often modified by adding other compounds to increase its adsorption ability. A surfactant with a negative charge named sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) can draw in an ionic component with a positive charge. Due to the presence of alkyl benzene sulfonate, a key component of synthetic detergent, it has been frequently employed in detergent.
Bentonite in Water Purification
Various industrial wastewaters may contain emulsified or scattered fats, oils, grease, fuels, or other hydrocarbons. Before wastewater is discharged or used again, these oils and fats must be removed.
Bentonite is frequently employed in water purification and industrial wastewater treatment due to its well-defined sorption and ion exchange properties. Sorbents demonstrate the high efficacy of water filtration from activated bentonite. Using such sorbents can remove suspended particles up to 100%, reduce chemical oxygen consumption by 99%, and remove heavy metals like Cr (VI) by 95%. Water treatment bentonite can also be a promising adsorbent for COD removal up to 75%. Additionally, the color of the effluent is removed. It is also crucial that bentonite is non-toxic, non-combustible, and does not risk human health. It is the main reason for the application of bentonite clay in water systems.
When combined with chemical coagulants (PACs), bentonite can remove TSS, COD, phosphate ions, nitrogen compounds, and toxic metals from municipal wastewater. The wastewater after treatment can be used for irrigation, swimming, and fish water as it fulfills the quality parameter.
About Iran Bentonite Co’s Product
Iran Bentonite Co. is a prominent producer of various grades of bentonite, such as water purification bentonite. Customer satisfaction is assured by this powerful manufacturer and its high-quality products with top properties, like a high affinity for water and the ability to bind electro-positive substances. This Iran bentonite manufacturer (so-called الشركة المصنعة إيران البنتونيت in Arabic) counts on its innovative methods of bentonite processing to provide you with a unique outcome in the market.
You can also rely on secure packing and smooth shipping offered by our company. Our products are packed under international standards; still, every individual can go for their intended way of packing and delivering. In this regard, please reach out to our backup team.
Conclusion
Water treatment bentonite is a critical grade of bentonite used in water purification for its properties. Aluminum, iron, and clay are the main components of this grade, a substance used to purify wastewater. Compared to chemical-based coagulants that harm the environment, it is considered the best coagulant because it is less expensive and environmentally safe. Ore mining, sodium activation, drying, and milling are the main stages in the production of water treatment bentonite; still, it must pass through specific processes to increase its valuable properties. There are different grades of this substance in the market due to various manufacturers. Customers need to buy its product from a reliable producer to ensure the most functionality. In this case, they can depend on Iran Bentonite Co. as a leading manufacturer of bentonite.
