Intercalation of kaolinite under hydrothermal conditions

Abstract

Intercalation of kaolinite with dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) was carried out under hydrothermal conditions using a Parr bomb. The intercalated complex has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. It was found that the intercalation reaction is completed in 20 min and a high yield, ∼90%, of kaolinite/DMSO intercalate was obtained. An expansion of the original c-axis spacing of 0.714 nm in kaolinite to 1·124 nm, as a result of incorporation of DMSO molecules into the kaolinite interlayers, has been observed by XRD studies. FT-IR analyses of the intercalated complex have established the nature of interactions between the host structures and the incoming DMSO molecules. The hydrothermal method of intercalation developed in this study can also be used for other systems.