Montmorillonite, which is a natural phyllosilicate mineral to organize bentonite, is a typical member of dioctahedral smectites composed of an aluminum octahedral sheet sandwiched by two tetrahedral sheets of silica and has vast applications in swelling, catalysis, ion-exchange, and adsorption. Recently, due to its specific properties this layered silicate solid is extensively studied for applying in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and cosmeceutical industries. In present study, montmorillonite has been synthesized from bentonite with acidic activation treatment via hydrothermal method at 368 K for 24 h. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that high purity montmorillonite was crystallized. The synthesized material has a specific surface area of ca. 125 cm2/g, which is higher than natural purified montmorillonite, ca. 100 cm2/g. This study showed that montmorillonite crystallization by using natural bentonite as a starting material depends absolutely on the alkali concentration and pH of the synthesized gel.

Montmorillonite synthesized from natural bentonite

2019 Fall National Meeting

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