Characterization and bleaching properties of acid‐leached montmorillonite

Abstract

AbstractAfter being subjected to preliminary purification, montmorillonite clay was leached with varying concentrations of sulfuric acid (0.5–2 mol L−1) at 90 °C for varying times (0.5–4 h). Acid leaching causes partial amorphization of the montmorillonite and increases its specific surface area by a factor of 3 (from 49.1 to 157 m2 g−1). The bleaching efficiency for Mongolian mare's milk oil, as judged by light absorbance measurements at 400 nm, was increased from 9.5% for the unleached clay to 93.8% for clay leached with 2 mol L−1 H2SO4 for 4 h. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry