Attapulgites for Exceptional Rheology Modification and Syneresis Control

Highly effective Min-U-Gel® & Acti-Gel® gel grade attapulgite clays provide exceptional syneresis control that deliver fast thixotropic recovery without fading even under repeated or prolonged shear.

RBH is proud to supply these grades, which are produced by Active Minerals International , in a range of particle sizes and purities  which are tailored to various applications and to facilitate ease of dispersion.

Min-U-Gel® & Acti-Gel® are suitable for many filled water and solvent based applications. When compared to other types of viscosity and rheology modifiers these grades exhibit a high surface area, enhanced sorptivity, pH tolerance, chemical resistance and low addition rates.

Of particular note is the speed of thixotropic recovery once shear is removed. A trusted, high-quality and effective product range for stabilising a broad range of mixtures and enhancing applications properties.

So why, Min-U-Gel & Acti-Gel ?

• Efficient application in water and solvent-borne systems
• Provides efficient syneresis control
• Consistent performance
• Thixotropic viscosity modification
• Low amount of energy needed to disperse
• Cost-effective
• Suspending Agent

Typical applications – where particulates are held in a stable suspension, include:

Adhesives, Caulks, Mastics, Sealants, Asphalt, Cementitious compounds, Construction Chemicals, Coatings, pumpable concrete, plastisols, premix plasters & tape joint compounds – all examples of filled (high PVC) dispersions/emulsions/suspensions.

A brief overview of these rheology modifiers and their multi-functional applications can be found below:

Acti-Gel® 208 is a highly purified, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate product with unique properties. The material emanates from Attapulgite Clay, which when processed transforms into homogenous rod-shaped particles, with pseudo-nano dimensions. The homogeneous shape of the Acti-Gel® 208 particles allows very fast formation of a three-dimensional network of tiny particles. Upon shear this network is broken down completely, resulting in a very low viscosity under shear. As soon as shear is removed, the network is formed again immediately. Once applied, viscosity will recover by absence of shear, resulting in unmatched stability.

MIN-U-GEL®400 is a hydrous magnesium aluminium silicate with gelling and rheological properties used to thicken and stabilize aqueous systems that offers one of the best values in rheology modification. MIN-U-GEL®400 can also be used alone or in conjunction with associative thickeners where a lower shear thixotrope is needed to support the high shear thixotropy of the associative thickener.

Min-U-Gel ® FG is a slightly coarser grade of magnesium aluminium silicate. They exhibit excellent yield-pseudoplastic and thixotropic gel characteristics. It prevents settling of solids, phase separation or syneresis in the mixture during storage, thereby reducing pre-application mixing time. Consistent gel characteristics at extreme temperature conditions perm