montmorillonite

American  

[mont-muh-ril-uh-nahyt] / ˌmɒnt məˈrɪl əˌnaɪt /

noun

1. any of a group of clay minerals characterized by the ability to expand when they absorb large quantities of water.

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montmorillonite British  

/ ˌmɒntməˈrɪləˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a clay mineral consisting of hydrated aluminium silicate: an important component of bentonite

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Other Word Forms

• montmorillonitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of montmorillonite

1850–55; named after Montmorillon, France, where it was found; -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Taking a closer look at a specific type of clay that is common in the shale around oil and gas reservoirs, Ho conducted computer simulations of the molecular interactions between layers of montmorillonite clay, water and hydrogen.

From Science Daily

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

From Los Angeles Times

El Hachemi Bouali, assistant professor of geosciences at Nevada State College, said it all comes down to clay — bentonite and montmorillonite, to be specific.

From Los Angeles Times

In analyzing these spectra, O. B. Toon, J. B. Pollack and I found that certain features seem best accounted for by montmorillonite and other kinds of clay.

From Literature

In addition, we know that montmorillonite clays are a potent catalyst for combining amino acids into longer chain molecules resembling proteins.

From Literature