Síntese de argilas organofílicas com diferentes sais orgânicos.

Abstract

This study investigated the national green mud clay potential as adsorbent in the process of removing oil in an emulsion oil/water system, using a finite bath. The work was divided into two parts. The 1st. Part, describes the preparation and characterization of green mud clay modified with quaternary ammonium salts (Praepagen, Dodigen and the mixture of both) to evaluate the effect of the salt structure on clay’s properties. The technique used for the organophilization was the cation exchange, which consists by replacing interlayer cations (Na+) present in the clay structure by quaternary ammonium salt’s cations. The characterization to evaluate the quaternary ammonium salt cations entries between clay layers making it the organoclay was made through X-ray Diffraction techniques, Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential Thermal Analysis and Gravimetric and expansion tests (adsorption capacity and Foster swelling) to valuate affinity with petroleum products: gasoline, kerosene and diesel. X-ray diffraction essays showed that the basal spacing of green mud clay before change was from 15.57 Å and after treatment with Praepagen salt 19.62 Å, with Dodigen salt 22.49 Å, and a salts mixture (Praepagen + Dodigen) 19.62 Å. The infrared results show that the salts were added in the clay structure, thus revealing the organophilization process. The presence of salts in the interlamellar spaces were confirmed by Differential Thermal Analysis. Adsorption capacity tests proved the best efficiency of the organophilizated green mud clay with quaternary ammonium salts related to the clay in its natural form independent of the used solvent. Foster swells test results indicated that salts affinities occurred in organoclays valuated in all organic solvents. In 2nd. Part, the organoclays were evaluated for the removal process in a emulsion system of oil/water using finite bath, which proved that the prepared organoclays have great potential in oil/water emulsions separating.