APPLICATION / INFRASTRUCTURE
Bentonite for earthing systems.
For high-resistivity soils, where the rod alone does not reach the required value. Material from our own deposits, milled at our plant in the Zapala Industrial Park.
HOW IT WORKS
It does not conduct.
It holds moisture.
This is the most common misunderstanding in the trade. Bentonite is not a conductor: it is a moisture retainer. And because current in the ground travels through the water with dissolved salts held between soil particles, keeping the surroundings of the electrode moist is exactly what lowers dispersion resistance.
It does two things at once. It removes the air around the electrode. A rod driven into stony ground touches the soil only at some points; the rest is air, which conducts nothing. Hydrated, plastic bentonite fills those voids and creates continuous contact over the whole surface of the electrode.
And it stabilises the value over time. The classic problem with an earthing system is that it measures well in March and badly in January: the soil dries out and resistance rises exactly when the heat is worst. A material with more than 35 % water absorption holds moisture in the volume immediately around the electrode and dampens that seasonal swing.
The practical consequence is that the improvement depends on the ground. In moist clay soil the contribution is small, because the ground already does what the bentonite would do. In sandy, stony or rocky soil — or in a dry valley in summer — that is where the treatment shows.
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We do not publish a generic analysis of the material.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 installers
ask us.
Does bentonite conduct electricity?
Not on its own. It holds moisture and removes the air around the electrode, and it is that moisture with dissolved salts that conducts. This is why the effect depends on the ground and on the site climate.
In which soils does it make most sense?
In high-resistivity soils: sandy, stony, rocky or very dry. In moist clay soil the improvement is smaller, because the ground already provides what the bentonite would contribute.
Is it compatible with the electrode material?
Natural bentonite contains soluble salts of its own, which are part of what it contributes to conduction. Compatibility with the rod and the service life of the assembly must be assessed by the technical authority for the installation; if you need that figure for your project, the analysis is carried out on the batch delivered to you.
Does it replace resistance measurement?
No. Resistance is verified by measuring the finished installation. No additive on its own guarantees compliance with a value.
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.
HOW WE WORK
From your need
to a concrete proposal.
We talk
Type of installation, ground and target resistance.
We assess
We define grind and presentation for your job.
You validate
We arrange samples and available documentation.
We agree
Commercial terms and delivery schedule.
Tell us the soil type, the number of electrodes and the value you have to reach. We prepare the sample and the documentation available for your technical authority.
Ask about earthing ↗OTHER APPLICATIONS
One mineral,
different needs.
Bentonite for cat litter · Bentonite for waterproofing · Bentonite for water wells