Watheroo Bentonite has an amazing number of applications in the agricultural industry. Removal and recovery of fats in animal processing, water treatment, dam sealing, binder in stock feeds as well as soil improvement are just some of the many applications. Soils of the Swan coastal plain are poorly structured sandy soils with low levels of clay and organic matter.

​

This contributes to the poor soil structure, low fertility, poor wettability, low water holding capacity and poor nutrient retention capacity.

​

Sandy soils can be improved by the addition of clay and organic materials.

​

Bentonite Products WA bentonite clays are available as granules, which can be easily supplied to new soil, garden beds or new lawns or onto established lawns.

​

To improve the soil quality it may be necessary to add clay, rates of 1-3 % will have very beneficial effects on soil quality and plant growth and yield.

​

For most gardens it is necessary to treat only the top 20 cm of soil, which is the root zone.

​

Incorporating organic matter like compost into the soil with the clay is also recommended. The combination of organic matter and clay will assist the improved structure, chemistry and biological activity of the soil.

​

Bio Agriculture

Bentonite is an excellent carrier of various beneficial microogranisms as well as herbicide and pesticide applications.

​

Watheroo Bentonite is the foundation for the Alosca Technologies premier rhizobial legume inoculant.

​

Animal Processing

Bentonite clay is used extensivement in treatment processes for recovery of usable fats, tallow and protein from meat processing, food processing and dairy product processing industries.

​

a) Removal and recovery of fats and proteins from waste waters

​

• Belntonite clay has a very high binding capacity for proteins in water.

• This means that not only proteins can be recovered from complex mixtures of products and reused or disposed of as appropriate but significant savings in the cost of disposing if "loaded" waste water are realised.

• ​

b) Removal and recovery of tallow and proteins from stickwater and other waste waters from rendering and animal by-products industries

​

Bentonite clay in combination with natural flocculants is able to remove fats and proteins from abattoir wastewaters.

​

• Watheroo bentonite is GRAS status, so are considered suitable for inclusion in animal feeds.

• Natural polymer and food grade additives are added to bentonite cay to enhance adsorption of fats and other valuable compounds, and to flocculate the clay

• The recovered fats and proteins are mixed with bentonite clay and additives which means the recovered solids are suitable for inclusion in animal feeds and/or further processed to recover valuable components.

• This process ensures that wastewaters are treated which can lead to substancial savings in disposal of "loaded" waster water, whilst at the same time proteins and fats in waste stream are recovered.

• These give economic values to waste materials that otherwise are disposed of to costly landfill.

​

Effluent treatment

Several industries can generate significant quantities of waste water heavily loaded with organic materials, dissolved nutrients and other pollutants.

​

Bentonite clay based water treatment, using settlement or flocculation assisted separation, can be simple, reliable, cost effective approach to polluted water management.

​

Bentonite clay based water treatment technology can give good management of this wastewater by:

• Production of high solids sludge for disposal or reuse.

• Concentrating organic material content to improve biogas or methane generation.

• Reduction in content of dissolved nutrients and biological oxygen demand (BOD) in water.

​