Organo bentonite

Natural bentonite is widely used for removing pollutants from water, soil and air. The negative
charge induced due to isomorphic substitution renders the bentonite capable to meet this
purpose. But, due to hydrophilic environment at its surface, natural bentonite is an ineffective
sorbent for nonpolar nonionic organic compounds in water even though it has high surface
area. A lot of research works have been done to alter the properties of bentonite such that it can
adsorb organic compounds too. As a result, a modification technique based on ion exchange
reaction was evolved. The surface properties of natural bentonite can be greatly modified by
simple ion exchange reactions with large organic cations and the modified bentonite is termed
as organo bentonite. This organo bentonite is highly effective in removing nonionic organic
compounds from water.

Preparation

Ion exchange with alkylammonium ions is well-known and the preferential method to prepare
organoclays. The bentonite is dispersed at about 2 % concentration in water, the dispersion is
set aside to permit sedimentation of non-clay impurities, and the supernatant liquid is then
decanted. An aqueous solution of an organic ammonium salt is then added to the clay
dispersion. The flocculent precipitate is filtered, washed, dried at about 65oC and pulverized.

The interlayer cations are replaced by various types of organics cations. A typical cation
exchange reaction is shown below. The Na+ cations are replaced by the organic complex cation
N+R1R2R3R4 which gives the organo bentonite.

Alkylammonium ions are positively charged polyatomic ions of the structure NR4+, R being
an alkyl group. Some of the commonly used alkylammonium complexes are:

 Alkyl benzyl dimethylammonium chloride

 Dehydrogenated tallow dimethylammonium chloride
 Tetramethylammonium bromide
 Hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide
  Benzyl dimethyl hexadecylammonium chloride
 Polyethylene glycol ether
 Dodecyl pyridinium chloride
 Tetraethylammonium iodide
 Tetrabutylammonium bromide etc.

As the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group (the chain length) increases, the interlayer
spacing also increases.

Properties

The large complex cations can be exchanged by other cations of approximately same size, but
not by hydrogen. Thus the organo bentonite becomes hydrophobic i.e. it does not show water
adsorption, swelling and dispersion characteristics. But it gets easily wetted by most organic
solvents and swell and disperse in organic solvents. Thus organo bentonite can adsorb organic
pollutants from surrounding environment. The small organic cations (e.g.,
benzyltrimethylammonium) create a relatively rigid, nonpolar surface amenable to nonionic
solute uptake by adsorption (surface adsorption) and are effective in sorbing nonpolar organic
compounds. The larger organic cations (e.g., hexadecyltrimethylammonium) create an organic
partition medium through the conglomeration of their flexible alkyl chains (partition
mechanism) and are effective in sorbing polar organic compounds.

Applications

Organo bentonite finds its application abundantly as adsorbents of organic pollutants in soil,
water and air and in development of polymer nanocomposites. Other applications of organo
bentonite are following:

 In oil based drilling muds used for deep-well drilling: The advantages of oil-based
muds are apparent in water-sensitive formations (e.g. swelling shales), in soluble salt
formations, and at high temperatures. These muds are also useful for drill-stem
lubrication, particularly in drilling curved or 'deviated' wells, and for corrosion
protection (e.g. against salts, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide), and have the
further advantage of being reusable.
 Rheological control agents:
 o Paints: In oil-based paints, organoclays, although present in minute doses, play
a vital role in stabilizing the colloidal system by preventing pigment settling,
reducing separation of liquid components, enhancing application properties and
controlling absorption into porous substrates.
o Fiberglass resin: organo clay act as a thixotropic agent in fiberglass resins to (i)
suspend additives and fillers during prolonged storage, (ii)prevent the
separation of fibreglass while the resin is curing, (iii) prevent sagging while the
resin is curing on an inclined mould and (iv) enable easy pumping and spraying
of the liquid resin
o Cosmetics
o Refractory varnish
o Greases

References

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