Organophilization Process and Characterization of Palygorskite Clay (Attapulgite)

Natural clays can be chemically modified by surfactants, becoming organophilic. In this process, inorganic cations present in the clay mineral are exchanged for organic ones. Quaternary ammonium salts are commonly used in the organophilization process. Palygorskite is a crystalline complex magnesium aluminum silicate, with channel structure forming elongated crystals, which has physicochemical characteristics that give it properties suitable for several industrial applications such as drilling fluid and absorbing oils. The purpose of this study is to characterize the palygorskite clay and evaluate its organophilization process with the quaternary ammonium salt (CTABr) in order to use it for removing oil from emulsified solutions. Based on the results, it was observed that the organophilization process was evidenced by the X-ray diffraction due to the increase of lamellar distance and the presence of the quaternary salt peaks shown in the infrared spectrum, which makes the material viable to be applied in the treatment of emulsified oil.