noun
- a type of clay mineral that can absorb large amounts of water and swell considerably
Usage: geology; mineralogy
Examples
- Smectite clays are commonly used in drilling muds for oil wells.
- The soil contained high levels of smectite, making it prone to expansion when wet.
- Bentonite is a rock composed primarily of smectite minerals.
- The smectite in the clay gave it excellent water retention properties.
- Geologists identified smectite deposits in the sedimentary layers.
- The swelling behavior of smectite makes it useful in various industrial applications.