A natural bentonite coded as ASCN supplied by Bentonit União Nordeste from Paraíba, Brazil in powder form with particle size smaller than 74 µm was used. The ASCN bentonite was organically modified by ion exchange with the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide salt with the commercial name Cetremide and named ASCM. To obtain organobentonites initially aqueous dispersions of bentonites/Cetremide salt were kept under constant mechanic agitation for 30 min at 80 °C. Hereafter, the system was kept in repose for 24 h, being then washed with distilled water and filtered. These materials were placed for drying in an oven at 80 °C for 48 h and then ground and passed in a 200 mesh sieve. As parameter of comparison was utilized an organophilic bentonite named Cloisite 30B supplied by Southern Clay Products, Texas, USA. Both clays were structurally characterized by chemical analysis, cation exchange capacity, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis. The chemical analysis showed the presence of oxides, such as SiO2 and Al2O3 characteristics of the structure of aluminosilicate, and eventually a decrease in the majority of the metallic oxides when the bentonites were organophilizated, ASCM and Cloisite 30B, characteristics of process of exchange of metallic cations by molecules of organic salt. Based on the infrared spectra the presence de bands associated with the molecules of salt in the bentonites was found and by X-ray diffraction an increase in basal spacing of the clay by insertion of the organic salt between the lamellae of bentonite was observed, confirming that the bentonites are organophilic bentonites. The thermogravimetric curve of the organobentonites indicated that the Cloisite 30B clay are more thermally stable that the ASCM bentonite.
bentonite clay; organobentonite; structural characterization
