Canadian Clay Products, Inc.
Products:
Canapell
animal feed binder
Geoplug
granular sealant
Canagel
drilling mud
Coregel
high viscosity drill mud
Canafloc
flocculant aid
Ezetrowel
stucco and mortar
Canabond
foundry sand binder
What is Bentonite?
Bentonite is a clay mineral which is largely composed of Montmorillonite, which is mainly a hydrous aluminum silicate. It is a highly colloidal and plastic clay with the unique characteristic of swelling to several times its original volume when placed in water.
Bentonite was formed from volcanic ash deposited in an ancient sea, and modified by geological process into the present Sodium Bentonite. Bentonites were calculated to have accumulated between 74.5 and 70 million years ago. At that time, the Wilcox area was the center of a huge shallow inland sea which stretched from the Arctic Ocean to present day Mexico and was at least 1600 kilometers wide.
Bentonite has been called the clay of
a thousand uses. Sodium Bentonite is noted for its affinity for water
which gives it tremendous selling properties. Sodium Bentonite contains
exchangeable sodium cations. When dispersed in water it breaks down into
small plate-like particles negatively charged on the surface, positively
charged on the edges. This unique ion exchange is responsible for the
binding action which takes place. Bentonite's small plate-like particles
provide a tremendous potential for
surface area. It forms thixotropic gels with water even when the amount
of Bentonite in such gels is relatively small. These characteristics
give Bentonite an enormous range of potential uses. For instance,
this special clay can be used as an animal feed binder, a natural soil
sealant or drilling mud, a foundry sand binder, or as a stucco and
mortar plasticizer.
MINING
Before mining can begin, delineation of the deposit is performed by drilling and sampling. Mining then begins by removing the overburden from the mineral deposit with the use of large earth movers. The overburden is then stockpiled nearby for reclamation after the bentonite has been removed from the bed. When contact with the bed is made, extreme care is taken to avoid contaminating the mineral deposit with the overburden, thus insuring the highest quality raw material. Care must also be taken to conserve as much bentonite as possible when trimming the overburden from the bentonite.
When all the bentonite has been removed from the bed, reclamation can begin. The surface of the mine site must be returned to equal or superior condition. The habitat for plant and animal is very important as are all other environmental considerations.
processing
The bentonite from each bed is stockpiled and thoroughly tested to insure the highest quality for all our products. The bentonite is then carefully dried and ground to meet all the product specifications. The finished product is stored in silos to await packaging and shipping to our customers.
PACKAGING
Canadian Clay Products, Inc. has the facilities to bag our products in 25 kg, 40 kg or one tonne bags and can ship them by either truck or by railcar. We also have the facilities to load bulk tuck or bulk railcar.
Quality Control
Bentonite is thoroughly tested throughout the mining, processing and shipping stages to ensure the highest quality product is delivered to every customer. Samples of all our products and laboratory results are available to all our customers and potential or perspective customers.
P.O. Box 70
Wilcox, Saskatchewan S0G 5E0
Phone: (306)732-2085
Fax: (306)732-2100
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.