Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays

Natural and modified kaolinitic clays were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM and EDS) and N 2 adsorption techniques. Disordered, poorly crystalline kaolinite, containing some quartz and very little mica, was ca...

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Main Authors: Mervat Hassan, Hassan El-Shall
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2009-09-01
Series:Adsorption Science & Technology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1260/0263-6174.27.7.671
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author Mervat Hassan
Hassan El-Shall
author_facet Mervat Hassan
Hassan El-Shall
author_sort Mervat Hassan
collection DOAJ
description Natural and modified kaolinitic clays were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM and EDS) and N 2 adsorption techniques. Disordered, poorly crystalline kaolinite, containing some quartz and very little mica, was calcined at different temperatures and different times and then leached with 25 wt% sulphuric acid for 1 h at 98 °C. Calcination led to a reduction in both the specific surface area and the total pore volume due to dehydroxylation of kaolinite to meta-kaolinite (MK). However, subsequent leaching of the meta-kaolinite had a striking effect on the microporosity of the modified products. Thus, heating at 886 °C at 2 h (to yield MK 2 886°C) and subsequent leaching for 1 h produced porous silica with a specific surface area of 233 m 2 /g and a total pore volume of 0.22 m 2 /g. The increase in the specific surface area (S BET ) of the porous silica was due to the formation of micropores of 1.2–1.8 nm diameter and mesopores of 4.0–5.5 nm diameter inside the porous structure. The variation in the specific surface area and the porosity of acid-leached meta-kaolinite was found to depend not only on the calcination temperatures but also on the calcination time. Increasing the calcination time up to 6 h had a negative effect on the microporosity, attributed to a condensation reaction. The characteristics of the hysteresis loops in the corresponding adsorption/desorption isotherms indicated the formation of mainly slit-shaped pores. A broad band at 2θ = 21.8° in the XRD patterns of the modified samples was assigned to amorphous silica. The infrared spectra of acid-leached meta-kaolinite showed bands at 1095 cm −1 and 795–802 cm −1 , respectively, which could be assigned to a three-dimensional amorphous silica phase.
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spelling doaj-art-661dc6c626bb41298b04a03b8f0388692025-01-03T01:24:47ZengSAGE PublishingAdsorption Science & Technology0263-61742048-40382009-09-012710.1260/0263-6174.27.7.671Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic ClaysMervat Hassan0Hassan El-Shall1 Central Metallurgical R & D Institute, Cairo, Egypt Department of Material Science & Engineering and Engineering Research Center for Particle Science & Technology, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, U.S.A.Natural and modified kaolinitic clays were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM and EDS) and N 2 adsorption techniques. Disordered, poorly crystalline kaolinite, containing some quartz and very little mica, was calcined at different temperatures and different times and then leached with 25 wt% sulphuric acid for 1 h at 98 °C. Calcination led to a reduction in both the specific surface area and the total pore volume due to dehydroxylation of kaolinite to meta-kaolinite (MK). However, subsequent leaching of the meta-kaolinite had a striking effect on the microporosity of the modified products. Thus, heating at 886 °C at 2 h (to yield MK 2 886°C) and subsequent leaching for 1 h produced porous silica with a specific surface area of 233 m 2 /g and a total pore volume of 0.22 m 2 /g. The increase in the specific surface area (S BET ) of the porous silica was due to the formation of micropores of 1.2–1.8 nm diameter and mesopores of 4.0–5.5 nm diameter inside the porous structure. The variation in the specific surface area and the porosity of acid-leached meta-kaolinite was found to depend not only on the calcination temperatures but also on the calcination time. Increasing the calcination time up to 6 h had a negative effect on the microporosity, attributed to a condensation reaction. The characteristics of the hysteresis loops in the corresponding adsorption/desorption isotherms indicated the formation of mainly slit-shaped pores. A broad band at 2θ = 21.8° in the XRD patterns of the modified samples was assigned to amorphous silica. The infrared spectra of acid-leached meta-kaolinite showed bands at 1095 cm −1 and 795–802 cm −1 , respectively, which could be assigned to a three-dimensional amorphous silica phase.https://doi.org/10.1260/0263-6174.27.7.671
spellingShingle Mervat Hassan
Hassan El-Shall
Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
Adsorption Science & Technology
title Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
title_full Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
title_fullStr Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
title_full_unstemmed Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
title_short Texture and Microstructure of Thermally-Treated Acid-Leached Kaolinitic Clays
title_sort texture and microstructure of thermally treated acid leached kaolinitic clays
url https://doi.org/10.1260/0263-6174.27.7.671
work_keys_str_mv AT mervathassan textureandmicrostructureofthermallytreatedacidleachedkaoliniticclays
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