Bentonite comes from Bodegraven from now on

In January 2018, De Bentoniet Fabriek was established in Woerden. Since July 2021, De Bentoniet Fabriek has been in Bodegraven with completely renewed machinery. We speak to Marcel Griffioen who runs the business in Bodegraven. "We have grown rapidly," Marcel begins the conversation. "In 2018 we saw such an increase in demand for Bentonite and Grout products that we had to invest in additional production lines. The quality of our products and the way we offer the products yielded many customers within a short time."

Custom engineering 

The Bentonite Factory makes innovative products. "We can custom add various polymers to a mixture. It's a piece of custom engineering. In addition to standard packaging, we also like to think about other types of packaging and quantities. We can supply Bentonite and Drillgrout products in small bags of 25 kg and in Big Bags of 500 to 1,000 kg. We are proud of what we produce and how flexible we are. We can produce at a high level in Bodegraven with renewed silos and adapted production lines and guarantee timely delivery."

Bentonite HV

In house, The Bentonite Factory developed the product Bentonite HV. "It is a special composition. It is Bentonite with which a stable borehole can be made with fewer kilograms per cubic meter of water. So less solids, storage and transportation is needed. This not only means a cost saving but it is also more sustainable," Marcel explains. "It is a professional 'product' with which large tunnels can be drilled. And this Bentonite is well recyclable." Meanwhile, the Bentonite is often used in drilling tunnels in the Netherlands and Europe. The product is even shipped worldwide. "Our Bentonite has been used in three large drilling tunnels in Taiwan. You can also find our product in Denmark and Germany. We have the certificates to meet the requirements there." 

Great in Drillgrout

The Drillgrout produced in Bodegraven is a unique product. "Very competitive in price and consumption," Marcel explains. "Ideal for application in drilling in spanned groundwater areas. Several clients use it in horizontal directional drilling in "seepage areas"-where there is high groundwater pressure-to prevent groundwater flow in the drilling tunnels. Our Drillgrout products are also used for backfilling geothermal probes. And it is an important and necessary step for efficient operation of geothermal systems in vertical drilling. Thus, our Drillgrout products have become an important product within the energy transition."

Bentonite rods

Bentonite rods serve to seal boreholes so that water from different aquifers does not mix after drilling. "In house, we have developed a sleeve that is filled with Bentonite and is connectable to ensure proper sealing of the borehole. The basic concept, which is biodegradable, has been developed and tested. We are currently incorporating customer feedback to optimize ease of use and processing."