In an iron ore pellet plant, finely ground ore is rolled into green balls that must hold together until they are fired. A small addition of sodium bentonite acts as the binder: it absorbs water, becomes sticky and gives the green balls their strength.
Technical Specifications
Sodium vs calcium bentonite: which do you need?
Sodium bentonite swells many times its size in water and forms a seal or gel; calcium bentonite barely swells and is valued as an absorbent carrier. That one property decides who buys each grade. This page covers sodium bentonite.
| Sodium bentonite | Calcium bentonite | |
|---|---|---|
| Key behaviour | Swells strongly, forms gel and low-permeability seal | Low swell, high absorbency, holds liquids |
| Granule uses | Pond, lake and canal sealing; borehole and well annulus sealing; landfill and geosynthetic clay liners; clumping cat litter | Carrier granules for pesticides, bio-fertilizers and micronutrients (10x20, 16x35 mesh); soil conditioner; non-clumping litter; oil and spill absorbent |
| Powder uses | Drilling mud (oil, water well, HDD); iron ore pelletizing binder (75 micron); foundry green sand; sulphur-bentonite fertilizer (90:10); diaphragm wall and piling slurry; wine and juice fining | Fertilizer granulation binder; bleaching earth after acid activation (edible oil refining); ceramics; cosmetics and face packs |
| Main buyers | Drilling contractors, steel and pellet plants, foundries, cat litter brands, pond and landfill contractors, GCL makers, sulphur fertilizer makers | Agrochemical and bio-fertilizer formulators, NPK plants, oil refineries, ceramic and cosmetic makers |
| Tests buyers ask for | Swell index (ml/2g), gel/viscosity, fluid loss, moisture, mesh | Absorption (oil/water), crush strength, mesh, moisture, pH, dust |
Much “sodium bentonite” sold in India is calcium bentonite treated with soda ash (activated sodium). Ask for the swell index (ml/2g) and whether a grade is natural or activated before you order.
Read the full guide: sodium vs calcium bentonite powderRequest a Quote
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Quick Product Inquiry
For: Pelletizing Grade Bentonite
Who this is for
Pellet plants and iron ore beneficiation units in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand, and the traders who supply them. Plants usually run trials with a few tonnes before a supply contract.
What pellet plants test
Green ball drop number and green compressive strength, dry strength, and the effect on the pellet’s properties after firing. Bentonite adds silica and alumina to the pellet, so plants prefer a high-swell grade that works at a low dosage. Fineness matters, because the binder has to mix evenly with ore.
Swell, fineness and moisture are the values to put in your purchase specification, together with the test method for each.
Related Products
View full categoryFrequently Asked Questions
Can calcium bentonite be used as a pellet binder?
It binds less effectively, so plants would need a higher dosage. Pellet plants usually specify sodium bentonite.
Can you supply a trial lot?
Yes. Tell us the ore, the target dosage and the test results you need, and we will send a trial quantity from a known batch.
What fineness do you supply?
Our standard powder is 200–300 mesh. The finer grade pellet plants ask for is [TBC: availability of 75 micron grade].