High CEC generation and surface modification in mica and vermiculite minerals

Abstract

Montmorillonite layered silicate has been commonly used to reinforce polymer matrices. Due to its swelling in water, organic modification of the mineral surface is easily achieved which makes the surface compatible with polymers. Other minerals like mica and vermiculite though can also lead to high aspect ratio platelets in nanocomposites, but they do not swell in water owing to much stronger electrostatic forces of attraction holding their platelets together (layer charge density >0.5 eq · mol−1 in comparison with 0.25–0.5 eq · mol−1 for montmorillonite). In current study, milling, delamination and cation exchange processing of mica and vermiculite minerals has been reported to explore their potential as reinforcement materials. Wet grinding and subsequent sieving of the coarse minerals led to fine-sized particles suitable to perform chemical delamination in water. The delamination process resulted in Li-mica and Na-vermiculite with enhanced access to the interlayer cations, thus, higher CEC. Successful surface modification of the delaminated minerals with alkyl ammonium ions could be achieved which resulted in significant enhancements in their basal plane spacing. Peak degradation temperatures of 260°C were measured for C18 and 2C18 modified vermiculite, whereas 300°C and 275°C were observed respectively for C18 and 2C18 modified mica minerals which make them suitable for compounding with polymers at high temperature.