BLEACHING EARTHS

to the British Geological Survey, China is the world’s top producer of bentonite, being responsible for roughly a quarter of all production. This is followed by the USA, where sodium bentonite is found in the western parts of the country, while calcium bentonite deposits are located in the south. Germany, Greece, India, and Turkey are also significant bentonite producers due to natural deposits.

Attapulgite is found in abundance in southeastern USA (with the mineral getting its name from the town of Attapulgus, Georgia). Other significant deposits can be found in China, Spain and Turkey. Most commercial sepiolite on the market comes from Turkey, although less abundant deposits also exist and are exploited in Greece and central and southern Africa.

Thanks to the enormous global supplies, the edible oil industry does not have to worry about dwindling reserves. The global consumption of bleaching clays stands at a few million tonnes/year. As such, both Howes and Bello agree that it is unlikely there will be any shortages of the material for decades to come. Governments choosing to restrict the development of mines for ecological or other reasons stand as the only foreseeable limitation on bleaching earths’ availability.