ʻO Bentonite, i ʻike ʻia hoʻi ʻo ka lepo bentonite a i ʻole ka lepo montmorillonite, he mineral lepo kūlohelohe ia i haku ʻia me ka montmorillonite. Ua kaulana ia no kona omo wai kupaianaha, nā waiwai pehu, a me ka hiki ke hoʻololi cationic. Loaʻa ka inoa "Bentonite" mai ka ʻāina ʻo Benton o Wyoming, USA, kahi i ʻike mua ʻia ai kēia mineral lepo kū hoʻokahi a kapa ʻia no ka hoʻohanohano ʻana i kona wahi i ʻike ʻia ai.

ʻIke ʻia ʻo Bentonite e kona hiki ke hana i nā gels ke hoʻomaʻū ʻia, ka mea e waiwai nui ai i nā ʻoihana like ʻole. ʻO kona mau waiwai kino a me nā kemika e hiki ai ke hoʻohana ʻia ma ke ʻano he ʻāpana koʻikoʻi i ka ʻeli ʻana i nā lepo, e hoʻonui ana i ko lākou viscosity, suspension, a me ka lubricity. I ka ʻoihana pepa, lawelawe ʻo bentonite ma ke ʻano he mea hoʻopiha a me ka uhi ʻana, e hoʻomaikaʻi ana i ke keʻokeʻo pepa, ka laumania, a me ka hiki ke paʻi. Eia kekahi, loaʻa iā ia nā noi i ka metallurgy, ceramics, cosmetics, a me nā mea hou aku, kahi e pono ai i nā ʻano like ʻole a me nā koi hana kikoʻī.

Hiki i ke kala o ka bentonite ke ʻano mai ke keʻokeʻo a me ka melemele māmā a i nā aka like ʻole e like me ka hina, ʻōmaʻomaʻo, poni, ʻeleʻele, a me ka ʻulaʻula, ma muli o kona ʻano hao. Hōʻike pinepine ia i kahi ʻōlinolino waxy, lepo, a momona paha a hiki ke loaʻa i nā ʻano wehe a me nā ʻano paʻa. Hoʻopilikia nui ʻia ka hiki ke adsorption o ka bentonite e kona nui o nā ʻāpana, me nā ʻāpana maikaʻi e hōʻike ana i ka adsorption ikaika.