Abstract

LAZO, José C.; NAVARRO, Abel E.; SUN-KOU, María R.  and  LLANOS, Bertha P.. Synthesis and characterization of organophilic clays and their use as adsorbents for phenol. Rev. Soc. Quím. Perú [online]. 2008, vol.74, n.1, pp.3-19. ISSN 1810-634X.

The intrinsically hydrophilic characteristic of sodic bentonite clay was modified by cationic exchange with quaternary ammonium salts in order to evaluate their capacity on the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions. The natural clay reported no significant adsorption, whereas the organic cations: tetramehtylammonio (TMA), hexadecyltrimethylammonio (HDTMA) and bencyltriethylammonio (BTEA), showed an enhanced adsorption capacity for the clay in different magnitudes. The structural and morphological characterization of the modified clays, as well as the study of Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms, indicate that the adsorption capacity and mechanism are determined by the chemical nature of each quaternary cation.

Keywords : clay; bentonite; quaternary ammonium; adsorption; phenol.