Exploration of a New Source of Sustainable Nanomaterial from the Koh-e-Suleiman Mountain Range of Pakistan for Industrial Applications

Abstract

the present study aimed to explore a new source of montmorillonite and to develop an extraction and purification protocol for its isolation from raw clay samples acquired from the Koh-e-Suleiman mountain range in Pakistan. The process involved the collection of raw clay from the source, identification and quantification of montmorillonite. Granulometric extraction and purification protocols increased the montmorillonite content from 21.8-25.1% in the raw clay to 90.1-93.9% after small-scale extraction and 85.33-89.33% on a larger scale. A techno-economic analysis highlighted the practicality and economic benefits of large-scale extraction for industrial applications. This study highlights the existence of a substantial new source of this valuable clay which is currently used across multiple industries including construction, pottery making, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and engineering. it is intuitively expected that the large-scale extraction of the material will improve the economic condition of the region by providing employment opportunities to locals and may be a valuable resource for export. The term clay generally refers to a natural material with plastic properties and particles or fragments of very fine size (<2 µm), composed mostly of hydrous-layer silicates of aluminium 1. Based on chemical composition and atomic structure, clays can be classified into four groups: kaolinite, illite, chlorite and smectite 2. As well as commonly known uses in construction and pottery making, their utilisation extends into multiple industries including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, engineering and healthcare. The healing and medicinal properties of clays have long been recognised by humans and even animals, and other properties, such as high adsorption capacity, specific surface area, swelling capacity, reactivity to acids, dispersivity, hygroscopicity, unctuosity, thixotropy, plasticity and opacity, have led to their extensive and diverse range of applications 3-5. Montmorillonite clay has been identified as possessing desirable properties for exploitation across different industries, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, engineering and healthcare. It is a porous clay mineral belonging to the smectite group and is composed of a 2:1-layered structure with exchangeable cations between the layers 6. It has been widely studied as an active ingredient in pharmaceuticals due to its swelling, rheological, moisture-retaining, adsorption, detoxification and anti-viral properties 7-9. The adsorptive capacity of montmorillonite renders it suitable for drug entrapment and sustained-release, and its swelling and rheological properties

Chemical, Mineralogical, and Rheological Characterization of Regional Clays for Potential Use in Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical Products

“…In terms of bulk composition, all samples are characterized by the presence of a significant non-clayey fraction represented by quartz, calcite, feldspar, and hematite, as well as considerable portions of clay minerals (Table 3). However, for use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, these impurities must be suppressed [3]. Montmorillonites with a high degree of purity have application in a wide variety of areas such as selective adsorbents, medicaments, membranes, production of organophilic clays, catalysts, among others [46], and should contain levels like the sample used as standard in this work ($70% montmorillonite, $17% kaolinite).…”

“…The interest in its use has been gaining strength due to the search for environmentally friendly materials, that do not harm the environment when discarded, the abundance of world reserves and its low cost [3]. The possibility of chemical modification of clays allows the development of its use for different types of technological applications, adding value to this abundant natural resource.…”