The US bentonite market experienced a decline in January of 2026 as demand was lower than expected following the holidays. There has been a steady supply in the US, as mining in Wyoming and South Dakota continued without interruption. However, offtake of bentonite for use in many downstream sectors was slower than normal. Automotive foundries have maintained unchanged levels of casting activity; conservative drilling programs limited the demand of bentonite as a component in oil field applications; and consumer segments (such as pet litter) were operating at their normal run rates, without the seasonal restocking of inventory, whilst in the construction-related sector there was a typical mid-winter slowdown in the demand for the product. There were very few exports of bentonite to Canada or Mexico, which meant that there has also been limited overseas support for the product market. With inventories remaining at a very low level and logistics functioning normally, the bentonite market had begun the year with balanced, but not particularly exciting, fundamentals.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
