List of countries by bentonite production

Bentonite is an absorbent aluminium phyllosilicate generally impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite. There are a few types of bentonites and their names depend on the dominant elements, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and aluminium. As noted in several places in the geologic literature, there are some nomenclatorial problems with the classification of bentonite clays.

Bentonite usually forms from weathering of volcanic ash, most often in the presence of water. However, the term bentonite, as well as a similar clay called tonstein, have been used for clay beds of uncertain origin. For industrial purposes, two main classes of bentonite exist: sodium bentonite and calcium bentonite.

In stratigraphy and tephrochronology, completely devitrified (weathered volcanic glass) ash-fall beds are commonly referred to as K-bentonites when the dominant clay species is illite. Other common clay species, and sometimes dominant, are montmorillonite and kaolinite. Kaolinite dominated clays are commonly referred to as tonsteins and are typically associated with coal.

List of producing countries

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This is a list of countries by bentonite production (tonnes) in 2006 mostly based on British Geological Survey accessed in June 2008.

* indicates "Natural resources of COUNTRY or TERRITORY" links.

Bentonite production (tonnes) per country in 2006
Country (or area) Production
 World 14,600,000
  United States 4,620,000
  China * 3,200,000
  Greece 1,100,000
  India * [1] 1,081,000
  Turkey * 600,000
  Russia * 500,000
  Italy * 470,000
  Mexico 435,273
  Brazil * 419,214
  Germany 363,998
  Argentina * 256,165
  Czech Republic 220,000
  Iran * 186,323
  Spain 160,000
  Cyprus 150,620
  Australia 135,000
  Bulgaria 134,500
  Slovakia 95,700
  Poland * 93,880
  South Korea * 61,137
  Azerbaijan * 40,600
  South Africa * 32,878
  Algeria 27,110
  Ukraine * 25,000
  Bosnia and Herzegovina * 24,050
  North Macedonia * 20,353
  Romania * 20,229
  Pakistan * 20,000
  Vietnam * 20,000
  Denmark * 19,011
  Croatia 16,410
  Uzbekistan * 15,000
  Peru * 14,590
  Colombia * 8,500
  Hungary * 6,635
  Egypt * 6,300
  Nicaragua 6,300
  Indonesia * 5,000
  Georgia 4,487
  Philippines * 3,600
  New Zealand 3,028
  Thailand * 1,200
  Burma * 800
  Armenia * 720
  Mozambique * 610

References

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