In this study, a Moroccan bentonite was used to prepare three modified clays prepared by
different intercalating agents: a sodic clay (B-Na) prepared from raw clay by sodium exchange
process. The homoionic sodium clay was then used to prepare an organoclay (B-CPC) by
intercalation of cetyl-pyridinium chloride (CPC) and an aluminium-pillared clay (Al-PILC) by
intercalation of hydroxyl-aluminium cations.
The FT-IR analysis showed that the pillaring with Al13 and intercalation with CPC did not
destroy the initial structure of the sodium bentonite, and some characteristic bands of the
intercalating agents appears.
Detailed characterization with azote gas adsorption confirmed that the specific surface area of
the natural bentonite was 70 m2/g, and 107 m2/g for the B-Na when impurities are eliminated
and exchanged with sodium cations. The total surface area for the Al-PILC pillared bentonite
was significantly higher than that of unpillared samples and reached the value of 270 m2/g
resulting to the increase of the adsorption sites for the N2 gas. A considerable decrease to 7 m2/g
of the total surface area for the B-CPC oranophilic bentonite was observed.
All clay samples were classified as porous materials, the Al-PILC was a microporous material;
whereas natural clays B–CPC and B-Na were mesoporous materials.
The B-CPC was the clay that showed the highest (XRD) value of interlayer distance (21.7 Å)
corresponding to the bilayer intercalated between the clay mineral layers, and Al-PILC have a
XRD peak at 19.4 Å which corresponds to the Al13 intercalating pillars.