Name the application before the grade
The bentonite portfolio lists sodium, calcium, and application-specific grades, with uses including drilling, foundry, sealing, and absorbent systems. Give the supplier a specific application brief and ask which offered grade should enter the trial. Confirm the exact form being proposed as well as the grade name.
- Describe the process and the function the bentonite must perform.
- State any existing sodium or calcium grade requirement and ask the supplier to identify the offered material.
- For a specialized application, request a matching technical sheet instead of relying on the broad portfolio description.
Clarify the conditions behind a reported value
The reference sheet lists moisture at 14% maximum, liquid limit at 450 minimum, gel index at 60 minimum, and Marsh funnel viscosity at 50 seconds minimum. The product record also names pH at a 2% suspension. Ask the supplier to confirm the applicable grade, units, methods, and preparation conditions before adopting any of these as acceptance limits.
- Request units and test methods for liquid limit, gel index, and any filtrate-loss requirement.
- For slurry trials, record the concentration, preparation sequence, water used, and measurement timing in your test brief.
- Ask which reference parameters will be measured for the proposed sample and each ordered lot.
Use an application-specific acceptance sheet
Make the trial answer a defined buying question. For a drilling or civil slurry, your team can specify the required slurry checks. For foundry, sealing, or absorbent work, ask the process owner to set the relevant evaluation. The representative sample COA is a starting document for that discussion.
- Have the process owner list the measurements and observations required for approval.
- Record the sample identifier, offered grade, form, and preparation conditions with the results.
- Resolve missing results or unclear methods before deciding whether the trial is suitable for repeat ordering.
Put grade control into the RFQ
The listed packing options are 50 kg and jumbo bags. Send the required quantity, destination, packing, and trial timeline with the technical brief. Ask how the selected grade and accepted sample will be referenced in the commercial offer and what evidence will be available before dispatch.
- Confirm the supplied form and any particle-size requirement in writing.
- Agree the order specification, sampling basis, and treatment of results outside an agreed limit.
- Request confirmation of packing, document requirements, and timing for both the trial and planned repeat quantity.