Bentonite is a common soil amendment and is widely used in industries, pharmaceuticals, the environment, and other fields. The main component of bentonite is silicate minerals, which have particle shapes in the form of flakes or spheres. In water, bentonite particles exhibit significant expansibility due to the splitting of layered structures caused by sodium and calcium ions, which disperse the bentonite particles in water and increase the viscosity and adhesion of the liquid.

Firstly, let's take a look at the chemical structure of bentonite. The basic component of bentonite is silicate minerals, which can be divided into different layered structures. Each layer is composed of two silicate layers and a filamentous ion of a metal ion arranged alternately. This structure is called a layered structure, in which ions are bound to each other through ionic bonds by the layered plates, and the silicate layers are attracted to each other through van der Waals forces.

When bentonite is soaked in water and subjected to mechanical cutting, ions begin to interact with water molecules, thereby breaking the van der Waals forces between the layers. This causes the layered structure composed of silicate laminates to expand. For sodium bentonite, the ion is sodium ion, which attracts the layer board through ionic bonds, causing the layer board to continuously split and expand outward. This process is also known as' sharpening '.

Next, let's take a look at the anti settling principle of bentonite. Bentonite has applications in many fields, such as papermaking, coatings, flood control, etc. Bentonite can be used as an anti settling agent mainly due to its highly hydrophilic particle surface. When bentonite particles are subjected to mechanical cutting in water, they will split and disperse in the water.

This dispersion effect is achieved through the interactions brought about by surfaces with hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. When bentonite particles come into contact with water molecules, the water molecules will interact with the surface. Due to its hydrophilicity, bentonite particles are extensively soaked in water, and water molecules fill the gaps between each particle. This will enhance the hydrophobicity of the particle surface, causing it to move away from the water surface, thus achieving suspension effect.

In short, the chemical structure and anti settling principle of bentonite are very interesting and complex. By understanding these principles, we can gain a deeper understanding of the role and value of bentonite in many applications.