The particular swelling properties of bentonite clays lead to their wide use in many industries and particularly in the petroleum industry to prepare drilling fluids. Indeed, bentonite, when mixed with water, forms a fluid (or slurry) that is pumped through the drill stem, and out through the drill bit. The drilling mud, or gel, also serves to cool and lubricate the drill bit as well as seal the drill hole against seepage and to prevent wall cave-ins [1].
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