PHARMACEUTICAL
Vanderbilt Minerals
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA · Founded 1916 · Part of R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company
Game-Changing excipient for Pharmaceutical Formulations.
Natural rheology modifiers have a reputation for inconsistency. Vanderbilt Minerals built its position by removing that variable: water-washed, purified smectite clays supplied to controlled specifications, grade by grade, so a formulator gets batch to batch consistency, ease of manufacturing, and prolonged shelf life in pharmaceutical formulations.
The company has supplied the personal care, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries for more than sixty years, from a mineral base that goes back to 1916. VEEGUM magnesium aluminum silicate grades are effectively the reference standards for mineral emulsions, suspension stabilisation, API stability and much more versatile pharmaceutical applications.
- Cosmetics & Personal Care
Over 400 mineral salts and more than 7,000 specifications. The specification count is the more meaningful number: it is the measure of how far a grade can be tailored.
ABOUT THIS PRINCIPAL
A century of mineral processing.
Vanderbilt Minerals began in 1916 when Robert Thurlow Vanderbilt sold clay to paper mills from an office in New York City. The company still mines and processes its own minerals, which is the structural reason its pharmaceutical grades behave consistently: purification, particle size, and substitution are controlled inside the same organisation that sells the finished grade.
The personal care portfolio is deliberately narrow and deep. Rather than a broad speciality catalogue, it is a set of closely specified grades of three chemistries: magnesium aluminum silicate, bentonite, and xanthan gum, each offered in variants tuned for pH range, electrolyte tolerance, hydration speed, and certification status.
Clay and gum together outperform either alone. The synergy between a purified smectite and xanthan is one of the most reliable stabilisation tools available to a natural formulator.
ADCHEM distributes the Vanderbilt Minerals personal care range with dispersion and grade selection support from our own formulation laboratories, including preparation protocols, which is where most mineral rheology projects go wrong.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY
Why purified smectite behaves differently.
The performance of a mineral rheology modifier is decided by purification and grade control, not by the mineral name on the label.
PURIFICATION
Water-washed smectite
Water washing removes the accessory minerals that make raw clays unpredictable. What remains is a platy, high aspect ratio particle that builds structure at low use levels and disperses reproducibly.
SYNERGY
Clay and gum systems
Smectite clays are synergistic with xanthan gum and cellulose gums. The combination provides greater thickening, stabilising and suspending performance than the sum of the individual components, which is the practical basis of most VEEGUM formulations.
GRADE DESIGN
pH and electrolyte tailoring
Grades are engineered for defined use cases: VEEGUM Ultra disperses in the 4.2 to 5.2 pH range to match the skin's own acidity, while VEEGUM HS is built for maximum electrolyte stability and minimum acid demand.
SENSORY
Tack removal
Purified smectites reduce the slippery or sticky feel of gums and polymers and leave a silky, tack-free finish. In natural formulation this is often the deciding factor rather than the viscosity number.
Portfolio
The Vanderbilt Minerals pharmaceutical portfolio.
Below we have developed a comprehensive comparative table combining all the Veegum grades and their specific properties:
VEEGUM R
Property / Specification
VEEGUM® R
INCI Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
USP/NF Monographed Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate NF Type IA
Composition
Smectite Clay
Physical State
Off-white to tan fine granules
pH (5% Aqueous Dispersion)
9.0 – 10.0
Viscosity (5% Dispersion)
225 – 600 cps
Moisture Content
8.0% maximum
Solubility
Insoluble in water
Typical Use Levels
Between 0.5% and 3%
Key Applications & Characteristics
Topical lotions, creams, and suspensions (pH>6), treatment shampoos. Functions as binder, disintegrant, and release regulator in wet granulation. Helps improve palatability in oral formulations.
VEEGUM® HV
Property / Specification
VEEGUM® HV
INCI Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
USP/NF Monographed Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate NF Type IC
Composition
Smectite Clay
Physical State
Off-white fine granules
pH (5% Aqueous Dispersion)
800 – 2200 cps
Viscosity (5% Dispersion)
225 – 600 cps
Moisture Content
8.0% maximum
Solubility
Insoluble in water
Typical Use Levels
Between 0.5% and 3%
Key Applications & Characteristics
Provides excellent emulsion and suspension stability at low use levels; topical and tablet applications similar to grade R.
VEEGUM® HS
Property / Specification
VEEGUM® HS
INCI Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
USP/NF Monographed Name
Purified Bentonite NF
Composition
Smectite Clay
Physical State
Off-white fine granules
pH (5% Aqueous Dispersion)
9.0 – 10.0
Viscosity (5% Dispersion)
40 – 200 cps
Moisture Content
8.0% maximum
Solubility
Insoluble, but dispersible in water
Typical Use Levels
Between 1% and 3%
Key Applications & Characteristics
Provides maximum electrolyte stability and minimum acid demand; well-suited for acidic pH pharmaceutical suspensions, lotions, and creams.
VEEGUM® K
Property / Specification
VEEGUM® K
INCI Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
USP/NF Monographed Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate NF Type IIA
Composition
Smectite Clay
Physical State
Off-white granules
pH (5% Aqueous Dispersion)
100 – 300 cps
Viscosity (5% Dispersion)
225 – 600 cps
Moisture Content
8.0% maximum
Solubility
Insoluble in water
Typical Use Levels
Between 0.5% and 3%
Key Applications & Characteristics
Provides good suspension at low viscosity with low acid demand and high electrolyte/acid compatibility; well-suited for acidic pH suspensions, lotions, and creams.
VEEGUM® Pure
Property / Specification
VEEGUM® Pure
INCI Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
USP/NF Monographed Name
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate NF Type IA
Composition
Smectite Clay
Physical State
Off-white to tan fine granules
pH (5% Aqueous Dispersion)
9.0 – 10.0
Viscosity (5% Dispersion)
225 – 600 cps
Moisture Content
8.0% maximum
Solubility
Insoluble, but dispersible in water
Typical Use Levels
Between 1% and 3%
Key Applications & Characteristics
General-purpose grade used in pharmaceutical lotions, creams, and suspensions with pH>6, as well as treatment shampoos.
APPLICATION AREAS
Where Vanderbilt chemistry performs.
Below table gives an insight on the application areas for Veegum. For assistance selecting the best grade for your formulation, see the VEEGUM/VANATURAL Quick Reference.
Thixotropic & Pseudoplastic Properties
Unlike traditional viscosity enhancers like gums, Veegum exhibits both thixotropic and pseudoplastic behavior. While stirring a pharmaceutical suspension or cream during manufacturing, the viscosity is reduced for easy processing and pouring. Once filled into the final packaging, it returns to the desired thickness, eliminating stringy effects and improving product application.
Suspensions
creams
lotions
Enhancing Pharmaceutical Sprays & Ointments
In anti-inflammatory and medicated sprays, ointments, and creams, Veegum eliminates the sticky after-feel, leaving the skin silky and smooth. Due to its negative charge, the product remains at the site of application rather than running down the skin.
Benzoyl Peroxide Lotion
Diclofenac Topical
Zinc Sulphate Topical Cream
Hydroquinone Emulsion 8%
Hydrocortisone Acetate Cream 1%
AHA Emulsion
Pacifier & Multi-Functional Modifier
Why use multiple ingredients when one does it all? Veegum functions as a pacifier, viscosity enhancer, and rheology modifier, streamlining formulations by replacing multiple excipients.
Creams
gels
emulsions
Optimized for Suppositories
Acts as both a binder and disintegrant, ensuring gradual dissolution for controlled drug release at body temperature.
Suppositories
Simplifies Manufacturing
Eliminates the need for pre-processing in glycerine (required for xanthan gum systems), reducing production time and manufacturing costs.
Various semisolid formulations.
Enhanced API Stability in Suspensions
Prevents phase separation, suspension caking, improves viscosity, maintains uniformity, and ensures optimal API efficacy throughout shelf life.
Loratadine Oral Suspension 5 mg/ml
Antacid Suspension
Paracetamol Suspension
Calamine Lotion
Optimum Tablet Hardness & Wet Granulation Excellence
Veegum R is considered the gold standard for wet granulation, offering superior binding, stability, taste masking, and disintegration. It enhances tablet hardness while maintaining optimal dissolution profiles, critical for effective drug delivery.
Metformin Tablets
Trospium Chloride Tablets
Oseltamivir Tablets
Superior Performance in Antidiarrheal Products
Unlike traditional clays that only absorb water, Veegum's negative charge traps bacteria and microbes, reducing pathogenic activity in addition to water absorption.
Antidiarrheal formulations.
Unmatched Water-in-Oil Dispersion Stability
The 3D lattice structure formed by Veegum's smectite clay platelets prevents phase separation, ensuring long-term product stability, uniformity, and shelf life.
Water-in-oil creams
ointments
emulsions
DOCUMENTATION TO BE HELD
Documentation that supports your submission, not just your specification.
Vanderbilt grades are supplied with sales specification sheets, safety data, and the compendial and certification documentation needed for cosmetic product safety reports, product information files, and organic certification submissions.
This principal supplies into both segments, so both documentation sets apply. Which set is required depends on the grade being purchased and the dosage form or product type it is going into.
Product and quality
- Product specification sheet
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA), batch specific
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS)
- Compendial compliance statement against USP/NF, Ph. Eur., JP or BP as applicable
- Analytical methods and method validation summary
- Physical characterisation data: particle size distribution, bulk and tapped density, loss on drying
- Stability data with retest period or shelf life justification
Regulatory filings
- Drug Master File number with Letter of Access
- Certificate of Suitability (CEP / COS) where filed
- Written Confirmation for API import into the European Union
- Manufacturing licence and site registration details
- Open part documentation for inclusion in the applicant’s submission
- Regulatory support commitment for market registration and variations
GMP and quality system
- GMP certificate for the manufacturing site
- Excipient GMP statement aligned to IPEC-PQG or EXCiPACT, for excipient grades
- ISO 9001 certificate
- Quality Agreement
- Change control and prior notification commitment
- Most recent regulatory inspection outcome summary
- Completed supplier questionnaire or audit report
Impurities and biological safety
- Elemental impurities risk assessment (ICH Q3D)
- Residual solvents data (ICH Q3C)
- Genotoxic and mutagenic impurity assessment (ICH M7)
- Nitrosamine risk evaluation
- Related substances and impurity profile with named and characterised impurities
- Microbiological limits and bioburden data
- Bacterial endotoxin data where the grade or route requires it
Origin and declarations
- Manufacturing process flow chart and route of synthesis summary
- Starting material identity and origin statement
- TSE / BSE-free declaration
- GMO-free statement
- Allergen statement
- Residual antibiotic and cross-contamination control statement
- Latex-free and melamine-free statements
- Country of origin declaration
- Halal and Kosher certificates where required by the market
- Packaging and container closure specification
WORKING WITH ADCHEM
What ADCHEM adds to the Vanderbilt Minerals relationship.
SPECIFICATION-LED
Grade selection, done properly
Most VEEGUM problems are grade selection problems. We match the grade to your pH, electrolyte load, and hydration equipment before you order a drum of the wrong one.
PROCESS SUPPORT
Dispersion protocol support
Mineral rheology fails at the dispersion step more often than at the formulation step. Our laboratories supply and validate the preparation protocol alongside the material.
COSMOS-COMPATIBLE
Formulation development support
Our teams can answer your technical formulation related inquiries and solve your main issue by recommending the perfect grade as per your application.
AUTO-ATTACHED VIA COSMO
Full documentation with every sample
Specification sheet, SDS, CoA, and applicable certification documents dispatched with the sample as standard, via COSMO, our digital platform.
On this page
Quick facts
HEADQUARTERS
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
FOUNDED
1916, as R.T. Vanderbilt Company
PARENT
R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company, Inc.
SEGMENT
Natural rheology control, emulsion and suspension stabilisation
MANUFACTURING
Company-owned mining and processing operations across multiple US states
COMPENDIAL STATUS
Grades compliant with USP/NF monographs for magnesium aluminum silicate and xanthan gum
CERTIFICATIONS
OMRI listed, Ecocert Greenlife authorised, COSMOS compliant and NATRUE approved grades
Natural rheology that behaves the same way every batch.
Three ways to start: a sample, a specification sheet, or a conversation with a specialist who will ask how you disperse before recommending a grade.
Request a Sample
Any product in the portfolio
Download a TDS
Full technical library
Talk to Our Specialist
Someone who knows the chemistry first
Other principals in this segment
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Provital
Givaudan Active Beauty
ImDerma Laboratories
AAK Personal Care
Cosphatec
Elementis (incl. Alchemy Ingredients)
Seppic
Vanderbilt Minerals