Silicic Acid and the Reaction of Zinc with Clays

DURING studies on the reactions between heavy metal cations at low concentrations and montmorillonite in 0.05 molar calcium chloride, it was noted that the amount of zinc sorbed increased when silicic acid was added. The work of Caillere, Henin and associates1 has shown that layer lattice silicates of magnesium, nickel, cobalt, ferrous and ferric iron, zinc and manganese can be synthesized under laboratory conditions at atmospheric pressure and temperatures near 100° C. Of these, zinc is reported to form silicates quite readily and the detailed study of Esquevin2 has described such syntheses in detail.