Fuller’s Earth, a blend of aluminum, iron, magnesium, and silica, is commonly used for its absorbent properties. Alternatives include attapulgite, bentonite, and calcium montmorillonate. Industries use it for filtration, personal care products, and in the film industry. Clay has been used for medicinal purposes and contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. However, clay taken internally can cause severe constipation.
Attapulgite, bentonite, and calcium montmorillonate are some examples of alternatives used for Fuller’s Earth. A blend of aluminum, iron, magnesium and silica, fuller’s earth is commonly used by various industries for its absorbent properties which can filter or remove fats and oils. Many cultures throughout history have used this clay for medicinal purposes related to its absorbent properties and possible antimicrobial properties. Some industries use Fuller’s earth as a generic term referring to any number of mineral clays.
Fuel, grease and oil manufacturers commonly use Fuller’s Earth filtration systems that remove contaminants and water from products. Attapulgite clay is also a fine-grained earthy substance with absorbent properties. Industries typically refine fuels and lubricants by forcing them through filters containing attapulgite or by pouring the substances onto an attapulgite substrate. Personal care product industries use filler earth as an ingredient in cosmetic products due to the oil-absorbing properties of the substance.
Bentonite clay not only absorbs water and oils, but also acts as a thickening agent in a variety of products, including adhesives, cosmetics and foods. Contractors might use sodium bentonite as a moisture barrier when constructing ditches or ponds. As the substance absorbs water, it swells to such proportions that it thickens and forms a plastic-like surface. Bentonite clay is also a common ingredient in clay-based cat litter.
Since prehistoric times, Fuller’s Earth has been used as a topical wound dressing or taken internally as a mineral supplement. Researchers have found that bentonite and montmorillonate clays demonstrate antibacterial and antifungal properties against a number of microbial species, including some resistant forms of bacteria. Used as a topical dressing or in the form of a mud bath, clays act as a barrier against invading microbes by clearing out existing infections. Scientists have also developed a topical dressing composed of gauze and kaolin clay that triggers clotting mechanisms, minimizing life-threatening blood loss in combat situations.
Pregnant women in primitive cultures took Fuller’s Earth internally as a vitamin and mineral supplement. Analysis reveals that calcium bentonite and calcium montmorillonate both contain calcium, magnesium and potassium. Clays usually also contain iron in amounts ranging from 1% to 10%. Fuller’s earth has been used to treat stomach pain and diarrhea, and modern over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medications often include attapulgite clay. Clay taken internally can cause severe constipation.
Film industry companies commonly use filler clay, or alternatively pyrolite, for dramatic effect. The substance could be used to create a dirt road on a paved surface, dust scattered in high-speed car scenes, or the massive amount of dirt seen during explosions. Film crews often dust entire rooms with the substance to replicate decades or centuries of neglect.
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