INFLUENCE OF SYNTHESIS PARAMETERS ON MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINUM(III)-PILLARED BENTONITES

Abstract

Al-pillared interlayered clays (Al-PILCs) have been prepared from Romanian natural calcium bentonite (Orasu Nou deposit) and the effect of some parameters on the morphological properties has been investigated. The synthesis of Al-pillared bentonite consists in the following five steps: bentonite purification, ionic exchange of bentonite with Cu(II) ions, preparation of pillaring agent, intercalation of ionic exchanged bentonite with pillaring agent and calcination. The pillared clays present a rigid structure, a high thermal stability given by the oxido-metallic pillars formed after calcination. The raw material and the obtained nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The intercalation of the Al-polyhydroxocations into the interlayer of montmorillonite strongly modified the morphology of the AlPILCs. The material with the best characteristics will be chosen in the aim of its using in liquid effluents remediation.