Sodium and Calcium Bentonites: Versatile Clays with Numerous Applications Sodium bentonite is a highly versatile clay known for its ability to absorb large quantities of water, swelling to many times its original size and forming gel-like suspensions. This property makes it useful in a wide range of industries and applications. It is commonly used to seal dams, bond foundry sands, asbestos, and mineral wool, and as a drilling mud additive in the oil and gas industries. Additionally, sodium bentonite is incorporated into Portland cements and concrete, ceramics, emulsions, insecticides, soaps, pharmaceuticals, paints, and even paper manufacturing. The clay is also used for clarifying water, juices, and liquors, and acts as a water softener to remove calcium from hard water. Given its ability to swell and form suspensions, sodium bentonite is widely regarded as the "mineral of a thousand uses." On the other hand, calcium bentonite, which does not swell, breaks down into a finely granular form. It is commonly used as an absorbent clay, also known as fuller’s earth. This type of bentonite is utilized in various applications, including in industries requiring absorbent materials. Both sodium and calcium bentonites are invaluable in numerous processes across diverse sectors. Sodium bentonite is particularly valuable in the oil and gas industry as a drilling mud additive, and it is also used for pelletizing iron ore, as a sealer for irrigation ditches, wells, sewage lagoons, landfills, and in various other industrial applications. Its wide-ranging uses underscore its essential role in modern industries.