ITEM	CONVENTIONAL BENTONITE	SUPER MUD
Physical Appearance	Powder or granular form of clay; packaged in 50 or 100 pound paper bags	White liquid; packagedin 5 gallon (19 litre) plastic pails
Mixing Ratio	5%-8% solid depending on soil conditions	800:1 (water to Super Mud) will produce a viscosity of 35-45 depending on water quality. 600:1 mixing ration in salt water
Preparation	Requires 24 hours advanced mixing for full hydration and expensive agitator equipped batch tanks	Mixes instantly; can be easily mixed in surface tanks or mixed directly in the excavation
Weight Comparison	Adds volume and weight; weight increases with viscosity	Adds volume but not weight; weight does not increase with viscosity alone
Settling Time	Cuttings suspend in slurry for a long period of time; settling tank and desanding unit are needed	Precipitates the cuttings to the bottom of the excavation allowing for easy removal with a clean out bucket
Salt Water Effects	Separates and breaks down in salt water	Works equally well in fresh and salt water
Recycling	Slurry loses quality after 2-3 times of recycling	Slurry may be recycled an unlimited number of times without losing quality
Concrete Placement	High sand content, due to it's suspension properties; therefore affects the strength of the concrete	Sand content after 15-30 minutes is usually less than 1.0% making concrete placement easy without affecting the strength
Environmental Effects	Creates an impervoius layer; does not allow water passage, therefore preventing plant growth	Degradable; friendly to the environment
Disposing	Unwanted mud needs to be treated properly and taken to a landfill for disposal, this is a cost the contractors have to bear	Can be broken down with household bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide; may be discharged in storm drain or left on ground to evaporate (depending on local regulations)