Experimental Study of Montmorillonite Structure and Transformation of Its Properties under Treatment with Inorganic Acid Solutions

This paper discusses the mechanism of montmorillonite structural alteration and modification of bentonites’ properties (based on samples from clay deposits Taganskoye, Kazakhstan and Mukhortala, Buriatia) under thermochemical treatment (treatment with inorganic acid solutions at different temperatures, concentrations and reaction times). Treatment conditions were chosen according to those accepted in chemical industry for obtaining acid modified clays as catalysts or sorbents. Also, more intense treatment was carried out to simulate possible influence at the liquid radioactive site repositories. A series of methods was used: XRD, FTIR, ICP-AES, TEM, nitrogen adsorption, and particle size analysis. It allowed revealing certain processes: transformation of montmorillonite structure which appears in the leaching of interlayer and octahedral cations and protonation of the interlayer and –OH groups at octahedral sheets. In turn, changes in the structure of the 2:1 layer of montmorillonite and its interlayer result in significant alterations in the properties: reduction of cation exchange capacity and an increase of specific surface area. Acid treatment also leads to a redistribution of particle sizes and changes the pore system. The results of the work showed that bentonite clays retain a significant portion of their adsorption properties even after a prolonged and intense thermochemical treatment (1 M HNO3, 60 °C, 108 h).