A B S T R A C T:The fluorination of montmorillonite by aqueous ammonium bifluoride solution (NH4HF2) has been investigated by chemical, sorptive, porosimetric and electron microscopic methods. Changes in the chemical composition of the montmorillonite during the fluorination were compared both in the crystal surface and in the bulk sample. The accumulation of fluorine was distinctly zonal, being present mainly in the surface layers. The electron microscope studies showed that the 300--400 nm thick macrodomains in the initial montmorillonite were cracked into small microdomains 20-30 nm in thickness, this resulting from disruption in the continuity of the octahedral sheets. These distinct changes in morphology of the montmoriUonite aggregates particularly influenced the porosity and sorptive properties.

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Ammoniation of montmorillonites pillared with polyhydroxo-complexes of Al was performed in flow conditions at 773–1073 K and monitored by IR spectroscopy. Interaction of the clay with ammonia revealed exchange of terminal and bridging -OH groups by NH2-, NH- and N- species depending on the reaction temperature. Amination begins at 773 K while formation of NH groups starts at 873 K. Transformation of NH- into N-species occurs at 973 K. A mechanism for the ammoniation reaction is proposed and the series of the relative reactivity of OH groups was established: Si–OH > Mg–OH–Mg > Al–OH–Mg > Al–OH–Al. This series was rationalized in terms of accessibility of the OH groups.

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