I-Bentonite, eyaziwa nangokuthi ubumba lwe-bentonite noma ubumba lwe-montmorillonite, iyiminerali yobumba eyenzeka ngokwemvelo eyakhiwe ngokuyinhloko yi-montmorillonite. Iyaziwa ngokumunca kwayo amanzi ngendlela emangalisayo, izakhiwo zokuvuvukala, kanye namandla ayo okushintshana kwe-cationic. Igama elithi "Bentonite" livela endaweni yaseBenton eWyoming, e-USA, lapho le minerali yobumba eyingqayizivele yaqala ukutholwa futhi yaqanjwa khona ukuze kuhlonishwe indawo yayo yokutholakala.

I-Bentonite ibonakala ngekhono layo lokwenza ama-gel uma imanzi, okwenza ibe yigugu kakhulu ezimbonini ezahlukene. Izakhiwo zayo zomzimba nezamakhemikhali ziyenza isetshenziswe njengengxenye ebalulekile ekubholeni udaka, ithuthukise ukujiya kwawo, ukumiswa kwawo, kanye nokuthamba kwawo. Embonini yephepha, i-bentonite isebenza njenge-ejenti yokugcwalisa kanye nokumboza, ithuthukisa ukuba mhlophe kwephepha, ukushelela, kanye nokunyatheliswa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithola ukusetshenziswa kwe-metallurgy, i-ceramics, izimonyo, nokuningi, lapho ingadingeka khona ngezindlela ezahlukene kanye nezidingo ezithile zokusebenza.

Umbala we-bentonite ungahluka kusukela komhlophe nophuzi okhanyayo kuya emibala ehlukahlukene kufaka phakathi okumpunga, okuluhlaza okotshani, okupinki, onsundu, nokubomvu, kuye ngokuqukethwe kwayo kwensimbi. Ivame ukubonisa ukukhanya okufana ne-wax, okufana nomhlaba, noma okunamafutha futhi ingatholakala kokubili ezinhlotsheni ezikhululekile nezincane. Amandla okumunca kwe-bentonite athonywa kakhulu usayizi wezinhlayiya zayo, kanye nezinhlayiya ezincane ezibonisa ukumunca okunamandla.