Abstract

Sodium bentonite in aqueous suspension was allowed to settle onto a layer of magnetite, and the orientation of the bentonite platelets was monitored using the Fourier transform infrared spectrometry-attenuated total reflection technique. This study is the first reported use of polarized IR to study the in situ settling of delaminated bentonite platelets onto a thin layer of magnetite nanoparticles. The experiment was performed at a pH value (pH 5.6) close to the point of zero charge for the edge surfaces of the bentonite platelets in order to possibly enhance the probability for the (001) surface of bentonite to adhere to the positively charged magnetite particles. The order parameter (S) of the platelets was calculated both for the dry film and the film formed during water evaporation. These results were compared with the orientation of bentonite platelets on the internal reflection element (ZnSe) without magnetite particles, a system where the three layer model is valid. During settling of the bentonite, the tilt angle of the normal to the (001) surface of the platelets decreases and reaches a minimum value for the dry film. When the film is still covered by a layer of water, the tilt angles indicate the film to be at least partly built up of so-called card-house structures, implying that the edge surfaces of the platelets are at least partly adhering to the basal (001) surfaces.

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