Obtenção de organovermiculitas visando sua aplicação na adsorção de contaminantes orgânicos.

Abstract

Organically modified clay minerals are widely used as sorbents for organic compounds, intercalations of natural clay materials, with organic cations, with tensoatives groups may become these clays hydrophobic. The clay mineral vermicuiite used in this work was supplied by UBM-União Brasileira de Mineração S/A, located in the Santa Luzia city, Paraíba, with the purpose of its use in removing organic contaminants. Before treatment with tensoatives the clay mineral was submitted to a cationic exchange process with Na2C03, to substitute Mg2 + by Na+ , with the aiming to improve the process of organic salt insertion between the layers of the vermicuiite and heated at 1000°C. The tensoatives were Preapagem WB® (esthearildimethylammonium choride) with 75% of active matter, supplied by CLARIANT-SP and ethoxylated amine grease {TA 50) with 100% of active matter, also supplied by CLARIANT-SP. The samples were submitted the following characterizations: X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopy in the infrared (IR), cation exchange capacity (CEC), scanning electron microscopy. Foster swelling method was used to test the compatibility between the treated clay with the tensoatives and organic solvents. The organophilization process has provided an increase in basal distance of vermicuiite and it was observed an expressive increase in distance between the clay layers proportional to the increase in tensoatives concentrations. The affinity of organovermiculite for organic solvents was confirmed by Foster swelling test and the best result was observed with díeseí as solvent. The results reached in this work pointed the potential use of organovermiculite in the removing of organic compounds.