Abstract
Monolayer to bilayer (MTB) and bilayer to pseudotrimolecular (BTP) transitions were observed for smectites exchanged with symmetrical tetraalkylammonium cations of increasing sizes: +NR4, where R = (CH2)nCH3, with 0 ≤ n ≤ 7. In the case of SWy-1, SHCa-1 and SWa-1, the variation in layer spacing observed from intercalation of tetramethylammonium up to tetraoctylammonium cations showed a behavior characteristic of smectites with homogeneously distributed interlayer cations. In the case of STx-1, the change in interlayer spacing with the increase of the alkyl chain length was characteristic of a very high charge heterogeneity. Higher charge smectites (SAz-1 and SCa-3, CEC > 1.20 mmol/g) were found to have decreasing cation exchange with increasing cation size, resulting in a "leveling off’ of the interlayer spacing toward larger cations. The MTB and BTP transitions were used to determine the internal surface area of various smectites. The proposed method was found to be a quicker and simpler alternative to the polar liquid sorption method for this measurement, but was ineffective for high-charge smectites (CEC > 1.20 mmol/g).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barrer, R. M. and MacLeod, D. M. (1955) Activation of montmorillonite by ion exchange and sorption complexes of tetra-alkyl ammonium montmorillonite: Trans. Farad. Soc. 51, 1290–1300.
Barrer, R. M. and Reay, J. S. S. (1957) Sorption and intercalation by methyl-ammonium montmorillonite: Trans. Farad. Soc. 53, 1253–1261.
Barrer, R. M. and Hampton, M. G. (1957) Gas chromatography and mixtures isotherms in alkyl ammonium bentonites: Trans. Farad. Soc. 53, 1462–1475.
Barrer, R. M. and Perry, G. S. (1961) Sorption of mixtures, and selectivity in alkylammonium montmorillonites. Parts I & II: J. Chem. Soc., 842–849 and 850–858.
Barrer, R. M. and Brummer, K. (1963) Relations between partial ion exchange and interlamellar sorption in alkylammonium montmorillonites: Trans. Farad. Soc. 59, 959–968.
Barrer, R. M. and Millington, A. D. (1967) Sorption and intracrystalline porosity in organo-clays: J. Colloid Interface Sci. 25, 359–372.
Barrer, R. M. (1986) Expanded clay minerals: A major class of molecular sieves: J. Inclusion Phen. 4, 109–119.
Barrer, R. M. (1989a) Clay minerals as selective and shape-selective sorbents: Pure & Appl. Chem. 61, 1903–1912.
Barrer, R. M. (1989b) Shape-selective sorbents based on clay minerals: A review: Clays & Clay Minerals 37, 385–395.
Byrne, P. J. S. (1954) Some observations on montmorillonite-organic complexes: Clays & Clay Minerals 2, 241–253.
Carter, D. L., Heilman, M. D., and Gonzalez, C. L. (1965) Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether for determining surface area of silicate minerals: Soil Sci. 100, 356–360.
Chen, C. C., Turner, F. T., and Dixon, J. B. (1989) Ammonium fixation by high-charge smectite in selected Texas Gulf Coast soils: Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 53, 1035–1040.
Clementz, D. M. and Mortland, M. M. (1974) Properties of reduced charge montmorillonite: Tetra-alkylammonium ion exchange forms: Clays & Clay Minerals 22, 223–229.
Diamond, S. and Kinter, E. B. (1958) Surface area of clay minerals as derived from measurements of glycerol retention: Clays & Clay Minerals 5, 334–347.
Dyal, R. S. and Hendricks, S. B. (1950) Total surface of clays in polar liquids as a characteristic index: Soil Sci. 69, 421–432.
Favre, H. and Lagaly, G. (1991) Organo-bentonites with quaternary alkylammonium ions: Clay Miner. 26, 19–32.
Ghabru, S. K., Mermut, A. R., and St. Arnaud, R. J. (1989) Layer-charge and cation-exchange characteristics of vermiculite (weathered biotite) isolated from a gray luvisol in northeastern Saskatchewan: Clays & Clay Minerals 37, 164–172.
Häusler, W. and Stanjek, H. (1988) A refined procedure for the determination of the layer charge with alkylammonium ions: Clay Miner. 23, 333–337.
Jonas, E. C. and Roberson, H. E. (1966) Structural charge density as indicated by montmorillonite hydration: Clays & Clay Minerals 13, 223–230.
Lagaly, G. and Weiss, A. (1975) The layer charge of smectitic layer silicates: Proc. Int. Clay Conf. Mexico: Applied Publishing Ltd., Willamette, Ill., 157–172.
Lagaly, G., Fernandez Gonzalez, M., and Weiss, A. (1976) Problems in layer-charge determination of montmorillonites: Clay Miner. 11, 173–187.
Lagaly, G. (1981) Characterisation of clays by organic compounds: Clay Miner. 16, 1–21.
Lagaly, G. (1982) Layer charge heterogeneity in vermiculites: Clays & Clay Minerals 30, 215–222.
Laird, D. A., Scott, A. D., and Fenton, T. E. (1987) Interpretation of alkylammonium characterization of soil clays: Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51, 1659–1663.
Laird, D. A., Fenton, T. E., and Scott, A. D. (1988) Layer charge of smectites in an Argiaboll-Argiaquoll sequence: Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52, 463–467.
Laird, D. A., Scott, A. D., and Fenton, T. E. (1989) Evaluation of the alkylammonium method of determining layer charge: Clays & Clay Minerals 37, 41–46.
Lao, H., Latieule, S., and Detellier, C. (1991) Molecular recognition in microporous organo-minerals. Shape-specific interactions of carbon dioxide in functionalized organo-montmorillonite microcavities: Chem. Mater. 3, 1009–1011.
Madsen, F. T. (1977) Surface area measurements of clay minerals by glycerol sorption on a thermobalance: Thermochimica Acta 21, 89–93.
Malla, P. B. and Douglas, L. A. (1987) Layer charge properties of smectites and vermiculites: Tetrahedral vs. octahedral: Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51, 1362–1366.
McAtee, J. L. (1958a) Heterogeneity in montmorillonite: Clays & Clay Minerals 5, 279–288.
McAtee, J. L. (1958b) Random interstratification in organophilic bentonites: Clays & Clay Minerals 5, 308–317.
McAtee, J. L. (1962) Cation exchange of organic compounds on montmorillonite in organic media: Clays & Clay Minerals 9, 444–450.
McAtee, J. L. (1963) Organic cation exchange on montmorillonite as observed by ultraviolet analysis: Clays & Clay Minerals 10, 53–162.
Mercier, L. (1991) Intercalation of tetraalkylammonium cations into smectites: Honours thesis, University of Ottawa, 55 pp.
Olis, A. C., Malla, P. B., and Douglas, L. A. (1990) The rapid estimation of the layer charges of 2:1 expanding clays from a single alkylammonium ion expansion: Clay Miner. 25, 39–50.
Rüehlicke, G. and Kohler, E. E. (1981) A simplified procedure for determining layer charge by the n-alkylammonium method: Clay Miner. 16, 305–307.
Rüehlicke, G. and Niederbudde, E. A. (1985) Determination of layer-charge density of expandable 2:1 clay minerals in soils and loess sediments using the alkylammonium method: Clay Miner. 20, 291–300.
Stanjek, H. and Friedrich, R. (1986) The determination of layer charge by curve-fitting of Lorentz- and polarization-corrected X-ray diagrams: Clay Miner. 21, 183–190.
Stanjek, H., Niederbudde, E. A., and Häusler, W. (1992) Improved evaluation of layer charge of n-alkylammonium-treated fine soil clays by Lorentz- and polarization-correction and curve fitting: Clay Miner. 27, 3–19.
Stul, M. S. and Mortier, W. J. (1974) The heterogeneity of the charge density in montmorillonites: Clays & Clay Minerals 22, 391–396.
Tettenhorst, R. and Johns, W. D. (1966) Interstratification in montmorillonites: Clays & Clay Minerals 25, 85–93.
Val Olphen, H. (1977) An Introduction to Clay Colloid Chemistry: Wiley Interscience, New York, 318 pp.
Villemure, G. (1987) Photochemical applications of the intercalation of organic cations in clay minerals: Ph.D. thesis, University of Ottawa, 238 pp.
Weiss, A., Becker, H. O., and Lagaly, G. (1969) Determination of charge density sequence in regular interstratified mica-type layer silicates by means of their n-alkylammonium derivatives: Proc. Int. Clay Conf. Tokyo 1, 67–72.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mercier, L., Detellier, C. Intercalation of Tetraalkylammonium Cations into Smectites and Its Application to Internal Surface Area Measurements. Clays Clay Miner. 42, 71–76 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1994.0420109
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1994.0420109