Confinement of a Nonionic Surfactant Membrane Within a Montmorillonite as a New Way to Prepare Organoclay Materials

Abstract

The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize a hybrid layered material (organoclay) with a Na-montmorillonite and the triethylene glycol mono-n-decyl ether (C 10 E 3 ) nonionic surfactant which forms a lamellar phase at room temperature. The synthesized organoclay was characterized by complementary techniques (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction). Experiments in conjunction with electron density analysis showed that a bilayer or membrane of C 10 E 3 was intercalated within the interlayer space of a naturally exchanged Na-montmorillonite. The intercalation of a bilayer of C 10 E 3 in a clay mineral offers new perspectives for the manufacturing of nanomaterials. While showing a hydrophobic surface and a large interlayer space value, the resulting organoclay preserves the compensating cations within the interlayer space allowing one to perform ion exchanges, making easier the intercalation of further organic molecules of important size with functional properties or for environmental purposes.

Thixotropic evaluation of bentonitic clay dispersions modified with nonionic surfactants for organic drilling fluids

“…An analysis of the studies involving ionic and nonionic surfactants with respect to thixotropy, although there are not many in the literature, reveals that nonionic surfactants lead to a higher chemical and thermal stability [3,4], low toxicity and latent biodegradability [5], since they are derivatives of non-aromatic alcohol ethoxylate [5][6][7][8][9], preserve exchangeable inorganic cations after adsorption [10,11], with the possibility of cation exchange between the clay organophilizated with nonionic surfactant and inorganic cations [7,11,12], among other advantages. These properties are so useful that make clays organophilizated with nonionic surfactants suitable for many applications, among which the use as organic and inorganic residue adsorbent, due to their hydrophilic-hydrophobic nature [4,5], in drilling fluids [6], and for production of clay-polymer nanocomposites [13] can be highlighted.…”