BENTONITE API BENTONITE API

Bentonite belongs to the family of plate silicates and has a three-layer structure. In its structure, an octagonal aluminum layer is placed between two layers of quadrilateral silica. The quadrilateral plates are made of SiO4, and each quadrilateral is connected to its adjacent quadrilaterals by three oxygen atoms. Bentonite contains hydroxyl (OH) which are located in the center of the hexagonal ring. The quadrilateral plates are connected by octagonal plates. The stem distance in this group is 14 angstroms. This distance can vary from 9.6 to 21.4 angstroms due to the ability of smectite to absorb water molecules.