BENTONITE

Bentonite is clay containing not less than 70% of montmorillonite.

Montmorillonite is superfine flaky
aluminosilicate, where due to lattice
nestehiometrical cations exchange
surplus negative charge appears and
compensates cation-exchange
located in interlayer area. High
waterproofing is conditioned on this.
In case of water tempering, water
penetrates in interlayer area of
montmorillonite, hydrates it's
surface and cation-exchange, so that
provides swelling of the mineral.
During further water dilution
bentonite forms firm viscous
suspension with thixotropic
properties. Montmorillonite has high
cation-exchange and adsorption
properties.

Owing to this properties bentonite has found wide application as viscous gelling
agent and filtration diminishing agent in drilling muds production for well-
boring, as binding agent in foundry sands and iron ore pellets and also as
hydraulic and adsorption material.

In agriculture bentonite is used in mixed fodder production, as bedding for

animal's, for melioration properties, and also for wine and juice clarification.
Clumping cat litter is of the best quality produced from bentonite. It is common
knowledge that bentonite has more than 200 spheres of application.

Bentonite has the best technical properties if montmorillonite contains

exchanged sodium cations. The deposits of natural-sodium betonite are located
in Transcaucasia. In Russia the most well-known are the deposits with 30—
60% montmorillonite content, called bentonite by mistake. Practically, all
Russian bentonite is calcium — magnesium. Consumer properties of such
bentonite, containing not less than 70% of montmorillonite, after soda ash
activation might approach to natural-sodium bentonite.

 NATURAL CRUDE BENTONITE

Crude bentonite clay is natural bentonite with open-cast mine moisture (18-
28%) with size of bits up to 50 cm. According to consumers needs drying and
crushing is possible.
 ACTIVATED CLAY

Mined bentonite clay is activated with soda ash due to the consumer needs. The
main consumers for such bentonite are ore
mining and processing enterprises using
bentonite as a binding agent in iron ore
pellets.

Soda ash activated bentonite clay fits

with Bryansk technical specifications and has
the following quality characteristics:

Technical specifications Unit Quantity

Montmorillonite content, not less % 75
Swelling index, not less ml/g 14
Moisture mass fraction, not more % 21
Effective viscosity, not less Mpa*s 30
The size of bits mm 50

 BENTOPOLYMER COMPOSITION

For the purpose of increasing bentonite

consumer properties, as binding agent for
iron ore pellets we work up and produce
bentopolymer compositions. They are
considered to be soda ash activated
bentonite with special polymer content. The
content of bentopolymer compositions
varies according to consumers needs for
adhesive agent diminish and improving
pellets properties.
 PBMA, PBMB, PBMV BENTONITE POWDERS

Bentonite powders PBMA and PBMB follow the

requirements of specifications API 13A OCMA grate
bentonite. The suspension properties are shown in
Shedule 1.

Shedule 1

Specifications
Requirements Standard API
PBMA PBMB
13A
Suspension properties
Viscometer dial reading at 600 Minimum 30 45 35
r/min
Yield point/plastic viscosity
Maximum 6 6 5
ratio
Maximum 16,0
Filter Volume 15,0 15,0
cm3
Residue of diameter grater Maximum mass
2,0 2,0
then 75 m fraction 2,5 %
Maximum mass
Moisture 8,0 8,0
fraction 13,0 %

Bentonite powders are produced from soda ash activated bentonite clay and
meet the requirements of the Technical Standards 39-0147001-105-93
Bentonite powders for the drilling muds.

The properties are presented in Shedule 2.

Shedule 2

Mark
The main specifications Unit
PBMA PBMB PBMV PBMG
Solution yield, viscosity 20 3
m /t 20,0 16,0 12,0 8,0
Mpa * sec., not less
Moisture mass fraction % 10 10 10 10
Bentonit Scientific Industrial Company is in a position to produce the special
bentonite marks that are complicated due to consumers order.

 BENTONITE POWDERS FOR DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

We produce high quality bentonite powders (PB-NB1 and PB-NB2) for rapid
development of draw-in construction of underground communications by
directional drilling method. The Quality characteristics of bentonite powders for
drilling fluids intended for directional drilling boreholes are presented in the
Table.

Properties Unit PB-NB1 PB-NB2

40 25
Relative viscosity sec, no less than

12 12
Moisture content %

3 3
Sand fraction content %

15 15
Filtration index cm 3, no more than

Bentonite powders for drilling fluids used in directional drilling have high
technological properties:

 high reological properties of the suspension

 low sand content
 short time of dispersion.

Bentonite of the highest quality and environmentally friendly reagents are used
in the production of bentonite powders. For the rigid environmental
requirements bentonite powder PB-NB1E is produced with out any additives.

 NATURAL CRUDE CLAY

Crude bentonite clay is natural bentonite with open-cast mine moisture (18-
28%) with size of bits up to 50 centimeters. According to consumers needs
drying and crushing is possible.

Bentonite powders and bentonite clay for foundry sands meet the requirements
of the State Branch Standards 28177-89 Bentonite forming clays. Common
Technical Conditions.

BENTONITE POWDERS
Bentonite powders and bentonite clays for foundry sands meet the requirements
of the State Branch Standards 28177-89 Bentonite forming clays. Common
Technical Conditions. The quality properties are presented in following table.

The basic Mark

Unit
parameters P1T1 P2T1 P2T2 S2T1 S3T1
Breaking point
on compression, Pa 9x104 9x104 9x104 7x104 7x104
not less
Breaking point in
fractured
condensation
Pa 0,28x104 0,24x104 0,2x104 0,2x104 0,15x104
zone of the
moisture, not
less
Thermal
unit 0,6 0,7 0,3-0,6 0,7 0,6
stability, not less
Mass fraction of
montmorillonite, % 70 70 70 70 70
not less
Mass fraction of
carbonates, not % 12 12 12 12 12
more
Mass fraction of
iron in terms of % 1,7 1,7 1,7 1,7 1,7
Fe2O3, not more
Colloidality, not
% 70 70 70 70 70
less
Factor of the
water absorbing, unit 7,0 7,0 7,0 7,0 7,0
not less
Mass fraction of
sulphur, not % 0,03 0,03 0,03 0,03 0,03
more
Base cation
exchange,
mg 65 65 65 65 65
meq/100 g of dry
clay, not less
Mass fraction of 6,0 - 6,0 - 6,0 - 6,0 - 6,0 -
%
moisture 10,0 10,0 10,0 10,0 10,0
Sieve residue % 3,0 3,0 3,0 3,0 3,01
with mesh size, 10,0 10,0 10,0 10,0 0,0
 not more
0,4 mm
0,16 mm

DEPOSITS

We've got mine and processing

certificates of two bentonite deposits
with capacity to produce over 35
million tons:
The deposit 10-th Hutor located in
Khakas republic.
The deposit Ziryanskoye located in
Kyrgan region.

To guarantee the stable quality of the

mining material every deposit is
provided with geotechnical mapping.
The exploring is constantly operating.

Bentonite clays mining at these deposits contain from 75% to 90%

montmorillonite, with exchange interaction containing calcium and magnesium
cations. Moisture bentonite is activated by soda ash, that means that calcium
and magnesium cations are replaced by sodium cations, after that bentonite
properties are near to natural sodium bentonite properties.

Chemical composition of bentonite clay 10-th Hutor and Ziryanskoe are

presented in the following table.

Chemical composition of bentonite clay

Maintenance
Chemical compound, %
10-th Hytor Ziryanskoe
SiO2 59,77 57,10
Al2O3 19,80 19,40
Fe2O3 4,22 5,97
FeO 0,56 0,94
TiO2 0,55 0,15
CaO 1,06 1,81
MgO 2,95 3,01
P2O5 0,19 0,04
SO3 0,08 0,10
K2O 1,94 1,03
Na2O 0,90 0,78
Losses as a result of calcination 7,98 9,4

In year 2003 the company bought the control packet of shares in Vaniskedskiy
partner business authority of Askanskoe deposit (Georgia) bentonite clay.
Relationship with partners for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation
are regulated by memorandum, agreement protocol about the development of
cooperation built on partnership, mutual aid, efficiency, confidentiality
principles and maintenance each other interests.

Chemical composition of Vaniskedskiy region of Askanskoe bentonite clays

deposit are presented in the following Table.

Chemical composition of bentonite clay

Maintenance
Chemical compound,
% Askanskoe (the region of
Vaniskedi)
SiO2 54,2
Al2O3 17,12
Fe2O3 3,95
TiO2 0,33
CaO 1,52
MgO 3,98
K2O 1,62
Na2O 2,2
FeO —
MnO 0,06