Influence of sulfuric acid treatment on the structure and morphology of illite and montmorillonite

Abstract:

In the structures of the illite and montmorillonite, because the amount of Al3+ replacing Si4+ in the tetrahedrons is different, the number of layer charge is different, and the degrees of damage to the structure during acid treatment are also different. In this work, two raw materials, Zhejiang Anji bentonite and Jilin Antu illite, were respectively acid treated with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide for comparative experimental study. The phases, structures, thermal properties, spectroscopic properties and microscopic morphologies of the raw were characterized and analyzed. The results show that the montmorillonite structure of the montmorillonite sample is destroyed when the acid treatment concentration is 2 mol/L. With the increase of the acid treatment concentration, the surface of the lamellae changes from smooth and flat to edge curling to collapse between layers; The structure and morphology of illite of the sample are basically intact when the acid treatment concentration is 6 mol/L, and the acid corrosion resistance of montmorillonite is not as good as that of illite. The results in this study are of significance to the application and development of illite and montmorillonite.