What Are the Uses of Sodium Bentonite?

Are you looking to reduce water seepage in a pond or lagoon? Perhaps, you are interested in preventing seepage from a landfill site? Sodium bentonite has proven to be one of the most effective sealants available in the industry today. Sodium bentonite is a 100% natural substance that has extremely unique properties.

When the substance comes into contact with water, it exhibits remarkable absorbing capacity, and is able to hold over ten times its dry weight. Additionally, as the bentonite clay swells, it forms a watertight barrier. Because of these properties, sodium bentonite has a wide variety of possible applications that range from preventing seepage and leaks in small water bodies to being used as healing clay on human skin.

Southwestern Materials is a Texas based company that supplies high quality sodium bentonite products that are primarily designed for use as earthen sealants. Sodium bentonite is a natural material that is mined from the earth. When sodium bentonite is exposed to water, it immediately swells up creating an effective barrier. This rapid expansion and environmentally safe composition make it one of the finest earthen sealants available. As such, sodium bentonite clay can be used for a variety of applications ranging from sealing and casing water wells to fixing leaking ponds.

To learn more about clay bentonite and common uses and applications, contact us at Southwestern Materials today.

What Are the Uses of Sodium Bentonite?

Due to the unique properties that sodium bentonite exhibits, there are a great many uses for the naturally occurring substance:

• Pond Sealing– Pond sealing is one of the applications where sodium bentonite is most popularly used. Water often seeps into the soil that forms the sides or the bottom of a pond. By applying sodium bentonite onto the soil that surrounds a pond, the issue of water seepage is effectively prevented. Sodium bentonite creates an impermeable barrier between the soil and the water, allowing the pond to retain its volume of water.
• Lagoon Sealing– The way that sodium bentonite works on lagoons is extremely similar to that of pond sealing. What may differ is the process and technique of application. The method of application differs based on the size of the water body, its depth, and the pressure at waterbed.
• Well Casing and Sealing– Wells are extremely convenient and effective ways to store water. Creating a well though, is not as straightforward as one might imagine. Wells need to be created using materials that do not allow for water seepage to avoid contaminating the water supply and to keep water in the desired area. Applying sodium bentonite to these materials will ensure that the well remains leak free.
• Well Abandonment– When old wells become dried up or are no longer used, the well hole must be sealed up. Using sodium bentonite during the well abandonment process will prevent ground water contamination, which could cause serious harm to people or animals.
• Landfill Liner– Sodium bentonite is also often used as a landfill liner that prevents the toxic chemicals present in landfill sites from seeping into the soil and surrounding ground water or streams.
• Slurry Walls– Slurry walls are built to allow concrete structures to be built around nearby water bodies. These walls are meant to prevent water seepage and the creation of soft soil. Slurry walls are made using sodium bentonite to ensure there is low permeability between the groundwater and the structure to be built.

Order Sodium Bentonite at Southwestern Materials

Southwestern Materials is committed to providing our customers with sodium bentonite products of the highest quality. In addition to traditional bentonite clay, we also sell granular bentonite and bentonite chips, which can be used for a variety of specific tasks and purposes. While we are based in Texas, we supply sodium bentonite to customers all over the country.

If you are in need of sodium bentonite in any quantity or you would like to learn more about the benefits and uses of clay bentonite, contact us today.