Adsorption of benzoic acid from organic solvents on calcite and dolomite: Influence of water

Abstract

A study has been carried out of the adsorption of benzoic acid from cyclohexane solution onto the hydrophilic surface of calcite. We determined initially the chemical and mineral composition of the solid, its specific surface area and its granulometry. This was followed by the determination of the enthalpies of immersion of calcite in different solvents. These thermodynamic properties gave information on the energetics of calcite—solvent interactions. In this way, we could construct a scale of affinities of the different organic molecules and water for the calcite surface. It was noted that the enthalpies were higher in unsaturated than in saturated organic solvents, and higher in water than in the organic solvents. The adsorption isotherms and the differential molar enthalpies of displacement were determined in the presence and the absence of water. The role played by water in the adsorption of polar organic molecules from the oil phase has not been clearly explained previously. In this paper, we indicate how the presence of water can modify the adsorption of aromatic compounds on the surface of calcite. As regards the adsorption isotherms, the presence of water essentially increases the amount of adsorption. The results of the calorimetric studies were found to be surprising; we observed that the differential molar enthalpies of displacement were endothermic. Similar experiments were carried out with dolomite and n-heptane solution and the results compared with those obtained with calcite and cyclohexane, leading to the formulation of a general model concerning the adsorption of small polar organic molecules from organic solvents onto the surfaces of the carbonates.