APPLICATION / PET CARE
Bentonite for
cat litter.
Our core business. Bentonite from our own deposits in Neuquén, milled and packed at our own plant in the Zapala Industrial Park, for private labels, distributors and third-party brand developments.
WHY IT WORKS
The clump either
holds or it doesn't.
Cat litter is judged in the consumer's home on three things: whether the clump comes out whole on the scoop, whether it controls odour, and whether it fills the room with dust. All three come down to the mineral and how it is ground.
Clumping depends on active clay. When urine wets the bed, the smectite platelets take up water, expand and bind to one another into a cohesive mass. If the proportion of active clay is low, the clump breaks apart when lifted and the consumer ends up replacing the whole tray.
Odour control comes from available surface. The more active clay surface the material exposes, the greater its capacity to hold liquids and the volatile compounds that cause odour.
Dust is set by the grind. A coarse, uniform particle size without an excess of fines is what keeps the tray clean and avoids the cloud when pouring. That is why a 1.5 to 3.5 mm grind is the reference for clumping litter on the shelf.
PARTICLE SIZES
Two grinds,
two market positions.
The same mineral, ground differently, serves two distinct commercial strategies. The choice is not technical: it is about shelf price.
| Characteristic | Coarse grind | Fine grind |
|---|---|---|
| Particle size | 1.5 – 3.5 mm | 200 mesh – 1 mm |
| Equivalent | — | 0.074 – 1.00 mm |
| Behaviour | Clumping | Absorbent |
| Dust level | Low | Higher |
| Typical positioning | Premium shelf line | Value line, fast rotation |
The fine fraction has greater specific surface and, with it, greater absorption per unit of mass. It does not clump the same way, but it performs differently and costs differently. Many brands run both lines in parallel to cover two price segments with a single supplier.
PRIVATE LABEL
Your brand,
our plant.
We manufacture cat litter under the customer's brand at our plant in the Zapala Industrial Park. The service covers milling to the agreed particle size, bagging labour, secondary packaging, stretch wrap, pallets and cardboard protection sheets between layers and on the outer faces of the pallet.
The printed primary bag carrying the customer's brand is supplied by the customer. Before the first production run we carry out a seal and transport-resistance test on the packaging samples, so the problem does not show up with the first loaded truck.
We run our own brands — Stonecat and Monkcat — alongside third-party brands. Operating our own brands is what lets us anticipate the problems of a new development: presentation, bag strength, pallet configuration and cost per bag delivered to the shelf.
Tell us the country of sale, the presentation, the estimated volume and the target shelf price. With that we can rebuild the margin chain and prepare a concrete proposal.
Ask about private label ↗SAMPLES AND ANALYSIS
The analysis that matters
is the one for your batch.
We do not publish a generic analysis of the material. We send samples to anyone who requests them and, when a customer needs an analysis, it is carried out on the batch that will actually be delivered.
This is a deliberate choice. A laboratory report published on a website corresponds to a sample taken on one particular day, from one particular lot, and says nothing about the material that will arrive at your plant. We would rather you validated ours with your own testing, on the real material of your order, before any commercial commitment.
Ask us for a sample, stating the application, the estimated volume and the requirements you have to meet. We arrange the shipment and, if your process calls for it, the analysis corresponding to the batch.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What distributors
ask us first.
Which particle size suits a clumping litter?
1.5 to 3.5 mm. It forms firm clumps and generates little dust. The 200 mesh to 1 mm fraction absorbs more per unit of mass but does not clump the same way: it is used in value lines or in blends.
Do you manufacture under the customer's brand?
Yes. We mill, bag and palletise under your brand. You supply the printed primary bag; we run the seal test before the first production run.
What makes a bentonite clump well?
Active clay content and swelling capacity, plus a coarse, uniform grind. The real validation is your own test with the material, which is why we send samples.
Do you export?
We have regional export experience. To assess an operation we need country or port of destination, presentation, estimated volume and purchase frequency.
Do you own the deposits?
Yes. Andacollo S.A. works its own deposits in Neuquén, awarded by discovery under the Argentine mining regime, and milling and packing are carried out at our plant in the Zapala Industrial Park. The material passes through no intermediary: continuity of quality and of supply depends on us, not on a third party.
Do you have an analysis of the material?
We send samples to anyone who requests them, and the analysis is carried out on the batch that will be delivered. We do not publish a generic report because it would correspond to a sample from another day and another lot: the figure that lets you decide is the one from your own batch.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
One mineral,
different needs.
Bentonite for waterproofing · Bentonite for water wells · Bentonite for earthing