I-Bentonite, eyaziwa ngokuba yi-bentonite clay okanye i-montmorillonite clay, yiminerali yodongwe yendalo eyenziwe ikakhulu yi-montmorillonite. Iyaziwa ngokufunxa kwayo amanzi ngendlela emangalisayo, iipropati zokudumba, kunye namandla ayo okutshintshiselana nge-cationic. Igama elithi "Bentonite" livela kwindawo yaseBenton eWyoming, e-USA, apho le minerali yodongwe ikhethekileyo yafunyanwa khona kwaye yathiywa igama ngenxa yendawo eyafunyanwa kuyo.

I-Bentonite ibonakaliswa kubuchule bayo bokwenza iijeli xa imanzi, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ixabiseke kakhulu kumashishini ahlukeneyo. Iimpawu zayo zomzimba nezekhemikhali ziyenza isetyenziswe njengecandelo eliphambili ekubholeni udaka, iphucula ukuxinana kwazo, ukumiswa kwazo, kunye nokuthamba kwazo. Kwishishini lephepha, i-bentonite isebenza njenge-filler kunye ne-coating agent, iphucula ubumhlophe bephepha, ukuguda, kunye nokuprintwa. Ukongeza, ifumana ukusetyenziswa kwi-metallurgy, i-ceramics, izinto zokuthambisa, kunye nokunye, apho inokufuneka kwiindlela ezahlukeneyo kunye neemfuno ezithile zokusebenza.

Umbala we-bentonite ungahluka ukusuka kumhlophe nomthubi okhanyayo ukuya kwimibala eyahlukeneyo kuquka ungwevu, oluhlaza, opinki, omdaka, nobomvu, kuxhomekeke kumxholo wesinyithi. Ihlala ibonisa ukukhanya okufana ne-wax, umhlaba, okanye amafutha kwaye inokufumaneka kwiindlela ezikhululekileyo nezincinci. Amandla okufunxa kwe-bentonite achatshazelwa kakhulu bubungakanani bayo bamasuntswana, kunye namasuntswana amancinci abonisa ukufunxa okunamandla.