Strategies for the successful preparation of homoionic smectites

• Concentration of solutions for preparation of homoionic smectites provided.
• Success depends on material under investigation and applied exchange procedure.
• Proof of interlayer occupation is mandatory.

Many chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of smectites depend on the interlayer cations. Therefore, homoionic exchanged smectites are prepared in order to investigate the reaction exchange mechanisms and to improve their behavior as function of the interlayer cation. Presently no general protocol exists and many of the suggested procedures lack proof of achieved exchange. Thus, the aim of the present study was to depict strategies and to determine factors for successful preparation of homoionic smectites. Three natural bentonites and one purified bentonite were saturated by different compensator cations using different (Na+, Li+, K+, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Cu2 +, or Zn2 +) chloride solutions. Concentration of the cations in solution varied between 1 and 20 times of CEC. The exchange was repeated one to three times. Extent of smectite interlayer saturation was studied by measurements of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and subsequent determination of the exchanged interlayer cations.Chemical properties of used solution salts influence pH and the surface properties of the smectites. As a result CEC of the smectites was altered by changing contribution from edge charges. It is established that divalent cation exchange was more successful than monovalent cation exchange (Bergaya et al., 2006). Moreover, fractions of high charged 2:1 layers could also hinder homoionic exchange. Finally, successful cation exchange reaction was strongly influenced by soluble accessory minerals and experimental setup.It was found that there is no simple recipe which is equally applicable for all smectites and bentonites, but there is a general protocol considering the following parameters: mineral composition of the sample, smectite CEC and/or layer charge, chemical and mechanical pretreatment, initial interlayer cations, type and concentration of saturating salt, solid–liquid ratio, reaction time, number of repetitions and washing procedure. Finally, proof of interlayer occupation is mandatory.