Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form when they precipitate from water solution as microscopic crystals, known as clay. It is named after Montmorillon in France.

What is montmorillonite used for?

The important functional utilization of montmorillonite includes food additive for health and stamina, for antibacterial activity against tooth and gum decay, as sorbent for nonionic, anionic, and cationic dyes, and the use as catalyst in organic synthesis.

What kind of mineral is montmorillonite?

Montmorillonite (MMT) is a natural clay mineral belonging to the smectite group. It is a dioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicate constituted by two tetrahedral sheets (T:O:T) and one octahedral sheet. Unlike other clay nanoparticles, the montmorillonite presents an interlayer space between each triple-sheet-layer (Fig. 13–5).