Bentonite and Fuller's Earth Resources of the United States IJ..S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1522 Bentonite and Fuller's Earth Resources of the United States By JOHN W. HOSTERMAN and SAM H. PATTERSON U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1522 A compilation on the uses, geology, mineralogy, and distribution of bentonite and fuller's earth in the United States UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1992 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, Jr., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hosterman, John W. (John Wallace), 1923- Bentonite and fuller's earth resources of the United States / by John W. Hosterman and Sam H. Patterson. p. cm. (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1522) Includes bibliographical references. 1. Bentonite deposits United States. 2. Fuller's earth United States. 3. Bentonite. I. Patterson, Sam H. (Sam Hunting), 1918-. II. Title. III. Series. TN948.B4H67 1992 553.6'l-dc20 91-13033 CIP For sale by Book and Open-File Report Sales, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract............................................................................ 1 Description of Deposits Continued Introduction....................................................................... 1 Montana...................................................................... 27 Definitions................................................................... 1 Hardin District....................................................... 27 History and Production.................................................. 2 Malta-Glasgow District............................................ 28 Uses........................................................................... 3 Vananda District.................................................... 28 Mineralogy........................................................................ 5 Bentonite Resources ............................................... 28 Occurrences....................................................................... 12 Nevada....................................................................... 29 Description of Deposits........................................................ 14 McDermitt Hectorite............................................... 29 Alabama...................................................................... 14 Ash Meadows Deposits............................................ 29 Sandy Ridge Deposit............................................... 14 Beatty Deposit....................................................... 30 Sumpter County..................................................... 17 Blanco Deposit....................................................... 30 Arizona....................................................................... 17 Bluff Deposit......................................................... 30 Cheto Deposit........................................................ 17 Rosebud Canyon Deposit......................................... 30 Other Deposits....................................................... 18 Jupiter Deposit ...................................................... 30 California.................................................................... 20 Walker Lake Deposits............................................. 31 Hector Deposit....................................................... 20 Sodaville Deposit.................................................... 31 Pacific Deposit....................................................... 20 Huntington Creek Deposit....................................... 31 Cajon Deposit........................................................ 21 Castle Mountain Deposit.......................................... 31 Otay Deposit.......................................................... 21 Vanderbilt Deposit.................................................. 31 Vallecitos District................................................... 21 Other Deposits....................................................... 32 Amargo Deposit..................................................... 21 New Mexico................................................................. 32 Tehachapi Deposit.................................................. 21 North Dakota............................................................... 32 Muroc Deposit........................................................ 22 Oklahoma.................................................................... 32 McKittrick Deposit................................................. 22 Oregon........................................................................ 32 Iron Canyon Deposit............................................... 22 South Carolina............................................................. 33 Snow White Deposit................................................ 22 South Dakota............................................................... 33 Olancha Deposit..................................................... 22 Tennessee................................................................... 33 Armargosa (River Valley) District............................. 22 Texas......................................................................... 34 Other Deposits....................................................... 23 Lufkin Deposits...................................................... 34 Colorado..................................................................... 23 Riverside Deposit................................................... 34 Florida........................................................................ 23 Gonzales-Flatonia District........................................ 34 Georgia....................................................................... 24 Other Deposits....................................................... 35 Meigs-Attapulgus-Quincy District.............................. 24 Utah........................................................................... 35 Twiggs Clay Belt.................................................... 24 Virginia and Maryland................................................... 35 Fuller's Earth Resources ......................................... 25 Washington................................................................. 36 Idaho.......................................................................... 25 Wyoming..................................................................... 36 Illinois........................................................................ 25 Black Hills Region.................................................. 36 Kansas........................................................................ 26 Kaycee Area.......................................................... 38 Kentucky.................................................................... 26 Bighorn District..................................................... 38 Louisiana.................................................................... 26 Casper Area.......................................................... 39 Mississippi................................................................... 26 Newcastle Area...................................................... 40 Aberdeen Deposit................................................... 26 Bentonite Resources ............................................... 40 Ripley Blue Mountain Deposits............................... 27 Conclusion......................................................................... 40 Missouri...................................................................... 27 References Cited................................................................ 41 in IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS Page PLATE 1, Bentonite and fuller's earth resources of the United States........................................................................... In pocket FIGURES 1-7. Graphs showing: 1. U.S. bentonite production................................................................................................................... 3 2. U.S. fuller's earth production.............................................................................................................. 3 3. X-ray diffraction trace of sodium-bentonite (montmorillonite) from the Clay Spur Bentonite Bed of the Mowry Shale, Crook County, Wyo............................................................................................................ 5 4. X-ray diffraction trace of calcium-bentonite (montmorillonite) from the Yegua Formation, Claiborne Group, Gonzales County, Tex.................................................................................................................. 5 5. X-ray diffraction trace of magnesium-bentonite (saponite) from Pleistocene tuffaceous playa beds, Nye County, Nev. ......................................................................................................................................... 12 6. X-ray diffraction trace of lithium-bentonite (hectorite) from the Hector deposit, San Bernardino County, Calif.............................................................................................................................. 12 7. X-ray diffraction traces of bentonite (CSB-1) from Crook County, Wyo., and palygorskite (ATT-1) from Gadsden County, Fla. .................................................................................................................