Abrasivity by bentonite dispersions

Bentonites are used for various industrial applications. Their physicochemical properties depend on the mineralogical and chemical composition, the type of smectite, the grain size distribution, the cation exchange capacity (CEC), the dominant interlayer cation (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+), and the layer charge density. All these parameters can be measured with acceptable precision. Nevertheless, the performance of a bentonite in a given application is often unpredictable. An additional relevant parameter is the “microfabric” describing the arrangement of minerals and/or the intergrowth of the minerals with glass. The microfabric is supposed to affect different bentonite properties such as swelling capacity and rheology. The present study focuses on the influence of different microfabrics on the abrasivity by bentonite dispersions.The abrasivity of bentonite dispersions mainly depended on two factors: 1) on the amount of hard and sharp accessory minerals and volcanic glass and 2) the grain size distribution, which was produced by different grinding techniques. The abrasivity increased with decreasing grain size, which was caused by breaking the hard components (minerals and glass) leading to an increased number of sharp edges.In addition, there was evidence for a subordinate influence of the type of exchangeable cations. This influence is explained by the different relative arrangements of smectite particles towards the surfaces of hard and sharp minerals. Na+ exchanged glass rich samples showed higher abrasion values than the Ca2+ exchanged samples.