Abstract
This study investigated the adsorption of toluene as a non-ionic organic contaminant by organosilicas and organo-clay minerals. Different organic surfactants were used to prepare a variety of MCM-41 molecular sieves at room temperature while cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA) bromide was used to synthesize MCM-48 mesoporous material under hydrothermal conditions. Organo-clay minerals were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions using synthetic low-charge Na-fluorophlogopite micas with CTMA bromide as organic surfactant. All synthetic organosilicas and organo-clay minerals, the latter including those procured from two commercial sources were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and their toluene sorption properties were investigated. Among organosilicas, MCM-48 exhibited the highest distribution coefficient ( K d ) value of toluene (95 ± 9 L/kg). An organo-clay mineral, Nanomer® PGW montmorillonite modified with CTMA bromide (Nanomer® 1.28E) showed the maximum K d value (345 ± 22 L/kg) for toluene among all the studied organosilicas and organo-clay minerals. The organo-clay mineral nanocomposites were found to be superior to MCM-41 and MCM-48 organosilicas tested here and the former could find applications in remediating organic contaminants such as toluene from soil and groundwater.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
