The production of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) has been expanded significantly into consumer and non-consumer goods from the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical and automobile industries. However, little is known about the effects of ENMs on human health and the environment. Safety assessment involves the understanding on the fate and transport of nanoparticles; therefore, methodologies to quantify and characterize nanoparticles in different solvents and medium are critical. In this study, a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) method was developed for the rapid and reliable measurement of organo-modified montmorillonite (O-MMT) nanoclay in various water-ethanol solutions, based on the simultaneous elemental analysis of silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al). Characterization of O-MMT as dry powder and in suspensions was performed by various techniques, including surface area analyzer, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). A stability test of O-MMT in suspensions was conducted by considering the solvent type (i.e., water and/or ethanol) and a surfactant. A good dispersion of O-MMT was achieved in water - ethanol at 1:2 (vol/vol) or in pure ethanol, while in water the addition of surfactant was required to improve the stability of the dispersion of O-MMT. The Si and Al contents in the O-MMT were determined to be 22% � 1.1% and 9.3% � 0.5% wt/wt, respectively, with a Si:Al ratio of 2.4�0.1. Those values were in agreement with values obtained by the XRF method performed in this study. The developed technique can be used to quantify O-MMT concentration in solutions.

Detection quantification and characterization of montmorillonite nanoclay in water-ethanol solutions

247th National Meeting (2014)

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