bentonite

[ben-tn-ahyt]

noun

Mineralogy.

1. a clay formed by the decomposition of volcanic ash, having the ability to absorb large quantities of water and to expand to several times its normal volume.

bentonite

/ ˈbɛntəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a valuable clay, formed by the decomposition of volcanic ash, that swells as it absorbs water: used as a filler in the building, paper, and pharmaceutical industries

Other Word Forms

• bentonitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bentonite¹

1895–1900; named after Fort Benton, Montana; -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bentonite¹

C19: from Fort Benton , Montana, USA, where found, + _-ite ¹

Example Sentences

Millions of years ago a volcanic eruption deposited ash that became bentonite clay.

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Collins, over at Washington State University, has been experimenting with spraying fine-powdered kaolin or bentonite, which are clays, mixed with water onto wine grapes so it absorbs materials that are in smoke.

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Layers of clay — bentonite and montmorillonite, to be specific — are found beneath the ground, interspersed between layers of bedrock.

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A series of barriers—giant copper casks, water-absorbing bentonite clay, and water-resistant crystalline rock—are expected to protect harmful radionuclides from seeping out of the site and into the local ecosystem.

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If water were somehow able to seep into the repository, it would still have to get past the bentonite and copper to reach the spent fuel.

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