Bentonite is the global default for clumping cat litter — and it is also the substrate most often described with the wrong technical vocabulary in B2B copy. This article walks through how a real cat litter manufacturer (PY-PET, Aisha-Pet factory, Dalian) takes Wyoming-grade sodium bentonite from inbound rail-car to a 26 MT 20-foot container of 99 % clumping-strength finished litter — and corrects the most common technical claim we see on competitor sites.
The PY-PET bentonite flow — inbound to outbound container
-
Incoming bentonite
Wyoming-grade sodium bentonite, ≥ 90 % montmorillonite, low-dust grade
-
Crush & screen
Coarse-grind round granules, 0.75–0.88 g/mL density
-
Dry & classify
Moisture ≤ 10 %; oversized / undersized removal
-
Fragrance blend
Apple · Lavender · Rose · Green Tea · Coffee · Lemon
-
Pack & seal
PE inner bag + Kraft / woven outer; 5–25 kg or 5–25 L
-
SGS COA + export docs
Health Cert · COA · MSDS · COO · Packing List · Invoice
Stage 1 — Incoming bentonite
PY-PET sources Wyoming-grade sodium bentonite — the same geological class used by North American litter producers — in bulk rail-cars or 1-ton big-bags into the Aisha-Pet factory in Dalian. Incoming lots are sampled and tested at intake: montmorillonite content, moisture, particle size distribution, and a “water drop” clumping test (one drop of water on a compacted disc — should form a hard nodule in < 5 seconds).
Lots that fail intake are rejected back to the upstream supplier — this is rare but it is the reason we have been able to keep the bulk-cat-litter clumping-strength floor at ≥ 99 % across batches since 2018.
Stage 2 — Crush & screen
Incoming bentonite is hammer-milled into coarse-grind round granules. The granule shape matters more than buyers expect: round granules track less out of the litter tray, hold less dust, and present a more uniform surface for fragrance coating.
PY-PET bentonite physical spec:
| Parameter | PY-PET value | Industry typical |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.75–0.88 g/mL | 0.75–0.95 g/mL |
| Granule shape | Round, coarse-grind | Irregular / fine-grind |
| Moisture | ≤ 10 % | ≤ 12 % |
| Dust content (post-extraction) | < 0.5 % | 0.8–1.5 % |
Buyers searching for bulk clumping cat litter or wholesale clumping cat litter usually evaluate on dust and clumping strength. Both are managed at this stage — dust at the dust-extraction step right after milling, clumping strength at the incoming-lot acceptance test.
Stage 3 — Dry & classify
After milling, the bentonite is dried to ≤ 10 % moisture and air-classified to remove oversized and undersized granules. Oversized granules reduce clumping speed (less surface area per gram); undersized granules are dust.
The classification step is the single biggest reason a B2B buyer should ask a cat litter manufacturer about their dust-extraction equipment rather than relying on the catalog spec.
Stage 4 — Fragrance blend
PY-PET runs bentonite through a fragrance-coating drum. Each fragrance is dosed at 0.3–0.5 % by weight — enough to be noticeable through a sealed bag for 12–18 months, low enough that the litter does not off-gas in a small apartment.
PY-PET bentonite stock fragrances (6): Apple · Lavender · Rose · Green Tea · Coffee · Lemon. Custom fragrance development is available for orders ≥ 1 × 20GP.
Note: bentonite does not ship with a “no fragrance” or “unscented” option as a default — the mineral has its own faint earthy note that becomes a “wet dog” smell in a closed tray. The 6 stock fragrances are formulated to mask that without overwhelming the room.
Stage 5 — Pack & seal
PY-PET packs bentonite cat litter in either:
- Weight-based packs: 5 kg · 10 kg · 20 kg
- Volume-based packs: 5 L · 10 L · 25 L
- Custom pack: free artwork service on PE inner bag + Kraft paper / woven outer
For B2B buyers sourcing bulk cat litter 50 lbs or bulk cat litter 100 lbs, PY-PET can configure to those pack sizes on request.
Stage 6 — SGS COA + export documentation
Every PY-PET bentonite batch carries a third-party SGS Certificate of Analysis with the following tests:
| Test | PY-PET specification | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Dust content | < 0.5 % | 200-mesh sieve |
| Lead | ≤ 5 mg/kg | ICP-MS, SGS verified |
| Arsenic | ≤ 2 mg/kg | ICP-MS, SGS verified |
| Cadmium | ≤ 1 mg/kg | ICP-MS, SGS verified |
| pH | 8.5–9.5 (typical bentonite range) | 1 : 5 water extract |
| Water absorption | ≥ 300 % | EN 13060 method |
| Clumping strength | ≥ 99 % | in-house 200 ml water test |
Documents that ship with every container: Health Certificate · COA · MSDS · COO · Packing List · Commercial Invoice. See the full documentation walkthrough in sourcing bulk cat litter from China — what documentation actually matters.
What “99 % clumping strength” actually means
PY-PET reports clumping strength as the percentage of a 200 ml water dose that binds into a scoopable mass within 5 seconds. The industry typical is 70–95 %. We hold ≥ 99 % by:
- Rejecting incoming bentonite lots below the montmorillonite-content threshold.
- Standardising granule shape and size in the crush-and-screen stage.
- Running a 200 ml water test on every production batch, not just at incoming.
For buyers comparing wholesale clumping cat litter quotes, ask each factory for the same three data points: incoming-lot montmorillonite content, dust %, and clumping-strength test method. Three out of three responses will tell you whether you are talking to a real 猫砂工場 or a trading company.
Container load and order parameters
| Parameter | PY-PET bentonite |
|---|---|
| 20FT container load | ≈ 26 MT |
| Lead time | Within 20 days from deposit |
| Trial order | 2-ton minimum |
| Free sample | 1 kg (freight collect) |
| Incoterms | FOB Dalian · CIF / DDP per lane |
| Payment | T/T 30 % + 70 % against B/L copy |
| Certifications | ISO 9001 · BSCI · Sedex · SGS · MSDS |
