ZENITH is a clay that is often produced by changing volcanic ash and is mostly made of smectite minerals, most often montmorillonite. 

Hectorite, saponite, beidellite, and nontronite are other smectite group minerals. Clay minerals are called smectites.

Intercrystalline enlargement is caused by the degree of moisture. Bentonite materials contain a range of accessory minerals in addition to montmorillonite, depending on how they form. 

These minerals might be gypsum, quartz, feldspar, and calcite.

Depending on the application, the presence of these minerals may have a positive or negative effect on a deposit’s industrial value.

Bentonite has strong colloidal characteristics, and when it comes into contact with water, its volume multiplies many times, forming a viscous, gelatinous fluid. 

Bentonite’s unique characteristics (hydration, swelling, water absorption, viscosity, and thixotropy) make it a useful material for a variety of purposes.