Bentonite industry sees changes

A report published by London-based Roskill Consulting Group highlights major changes in the bentonite industry.

Among the developments highlighted in The Economics of Bentonite (ninth edition) are the following:

– Illinois-based American Colloid Co. sold its fuller’s earth business to concentrate on bentonite production (fuller’s earth is a sedimentary clay used in clarifying petroleum products);

– Silver & Baryte, an Athens-based bauxite producer, purchased German-based Industrial metals producer IKO-Erbsloh;

– London-based chemical manufacturer Laporte exited the business, selling several subsidiaries to other companies, including Sud-Chemie and KKR (since renamed Rockwood Specialties).

Bentonite and fuller’s earth production increased 0.8% per year between 1995 and 1999. North and Central America account for 35% of the world’s bentonite production, with Western Europe producing an additional 27%. About 58% of the world’s fuller’s earth production occurs in North and Central America, with Western Europe accounting for 24%.

The major world and U.S. bentonite producer is AmCol, producing 1.45 million tons per year of material from all of its U.S. operations. The second-largest producer is Silver & Baryte, which accounts for 1 million tons per year.

The single largest use of bentonite is the production of cat litter, which represented 3.6 million tonnes in 2000. The second-largest market is foundry sands, with approximately 3.75 million tonnes used in 1999.

One of the fastest-growing markets for the mineral is nanoclays, which are used with resins.