RP Minerals, Sincere Science

Bentonite and Baritesince 1989

Five companies, one group, milling and processing bentonite and barite in Alexandria for twelve industrial sectors. More than 35 years of technical expertise behind every grade we supply.

Explore the fields we serve Request a specification

1989: First plant commissioned
0: Companies in the group
0: Industrial sectors served
0+: Countries exported to

Licensed

API Monogram

13A-0062 · 13A-0096

Two group companies hold current API Monogram licences covering barite and bentonite, alongside ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001. Every licence can be verified independently on the API composite list.

See the licences

What we do

Specialty minerals, matched to the job.

Bentonite behaves differently in a drilling mud than it does in a foundry sand or a paper coating. The grade, the activation and the polymer content all change with the application, and getting them wrong is expensive on site rather than in the lab.

RP Minerals mines, mills and activates its own material, which means the specification is set by us rather than inherited from a trader. Where a sector has a published standard, we work to it. Where it does not, we work to the customer's own test data.

Inside the plant

From the pit to the viscometer.

Raw clay comes off the belt, is milled and activated, and does not leave as a graded product until it has been measured. The film follows that path through the plant and the laboratory.

How it is made

We mine it, mill it and activate it ourselves.

Which is why the specification is set here rather than inherited from whoever sold it on.

Clay, graded before it is touched

Bentonite occurs with varying mineralogical and rheological properties. The characteristics of the raw clay determine its suitability for different applications, so the material is evaluated before processing.

Milled with soda ash into shreds

The clay is processed and activated with soda ash. The resulting intermediate material is then further milled and processed to achieve the required performance characteristics.

Ground fine, and corrected with polymer

The material is further milled to the required fineness, with polymer treatment applied where required to achieve the target rheological performance.

Measured, then packed to a code

Nothing leaves as a graded product until it has been measured. Only then is it packed to the code the customer ordered, in the sacks or bulk bags their line is set up for.

01
Clay, graded before it is touched
Bentonite occurs with varying mineralogical and rheological properties. The characteristics of the raw clay determine its suitability for different applications, so the material is evaluated before processing.
02
Milled with soda ash into shreds
The clay is processed and activated with soda ash. The resulting intermediate material is then further milled and processed to achieve the required performance characteristics.
03
Ground fine, and corrected with polymer
The material is further milled to the required fineness, with polymer treatment applied where required to achieve the target rheological performance.
04
Measured, then packed to a code
Nothing leaves as a graded product until it has been measured. Only then is it packed to the code the customer ordered, in the sacks or bulk bags their line is set up for.

Fields

Twelve sectors, each with its own specification.

01/ 12

01 / 12

Oil & Gas

Drilling grade bentonite and barite for mud systems, weighted to specification.

What the material has to do

02 / 12

Water Well Drilling

Borehole stability and cuttings transport for water well contractors.

What the material has to do

03 / 12

Horizontal Directional Drilling

Borehole lubrication and stability during trenchless installation.

What the material has to do

04 / 12

Tunneling

Slurry support for tunnel boring and diaphragm walling.

What the material has to do

05 / 12

Civil Engineering

Bentonite solutions for diaphragm wall construction, foundation piling and sealing applications.

What the material has to do

06 / 12

Foundry

Green sand bond for casting, matched to the metal and the mould.

What the material has to do

07 / 12

Paper

Processed bentonite for retention and drainage control, pitch and contaminant control, and coating applications.

What the material has to do

08 / 12

Paint

Rheology control and anti-settling in coatings.

What the material has to do

09 / 12

Ceramic

Plasticity and green strength in ceramic bodies.

What the material has to do

10 / 12

Cat Litter

Clumping granules with controlled absorption.

What the material has to do

11 / 12

Animal Feed

Pellet binding and toxin binding in compound feed.

What the material has to do

12 / 12

Agriculture

Soil conditioning and water retention in sandy ground.

What the material has to do

Six warehouses abroad

Global Distribution Network

Strategically located warehouses across Europe and the MENA region, enabling reliable and efficient delivery to customers worldwide.

Tap a country to trace its route. Local stock means shorter lead times, and no waiting on a vessel.

The group

Five operating companies, one specification discipline.

Each company in the group grew out of a capacity limit in the one before it. Together they cover mining, milling, activation and free-zone distribution.