Comparison of Conventional and Microwave-assisted Synthesis and Characteristics of Aluminum-pillared Rectorite

The synthesis and characterization of aluminum-pillared rectorite were studied. The synthesis was conducted with both conventional heating and microwave irradiation. Microwave irradiation was found to enhance the intercalation and ion-exchange during synthesis, and to be able to produce the rectorite with a larger d_(001) and a better uniformity. The specific surface area is 180 m^2/g and basal spacing is 3.2 nm. The texture change and thermal and hydrothermal stability of cross-linked rectorite were examined using XRD, FTIR, nitrogen-adsorption and TGA. The experimental results show that the aluminum-pillared rectorite, after calcined at 800 ℃ for 3 hours, can keep the basal aluminum-silicate texture and would not disperse in water at room or an elevated temperature. The aluminum-pillared rectorite shows a high specific surface area, good thermal and hydrothermal stability, and is promising in applications as catalyst carriers and adsorbents for waste treatment.

Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution onto Hydrochloric Acid-modified Rectorite

H＋-rectorite clay,which was prepared by modifying the raw rectorite with 10% hydrochloric acid at 60 °C for 24 h,was used as an absorbent for removal of methyl blue （MB） from aqueous solutions.The morphology and the structure and crystallinity of the pristine rectorite and the H＋-rectorite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） technique and X-ray diffraction （XRD） technique,respectively.The results showed that the H＋-rectorite exhibited high adsorption ability than the raw rectorite,and it was found that the removal percentage of MB increased with increasing in adsorbents dose,whereas the adsorption amount qe （mg/g） decreased.The equilibrium was attained within 30 min in adsorption process,and the maximum adsorption capacity of H＋-rectorite for methylene blue reached as high as 37 mg/g.Besides,the effect of temperature on the adsorption of MB with H＋-rectorite was investigated and the equilibrium data were well fitted to Freundlich equations.The H＋-rectorite absorbent saturated with MB can be regenerated by calcinating at 400 °C for 2 h and the regenerated absorbent still showed higher percentage removal of MB.

Morphological Characteristics of (K, Na)-Rectoritefrom Zhongxiang Rectorite Deposit, Hubei, Central China

The morphological characteristics of the Zhongxiang （钟祥） rectorite have been studied using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, electron probe micro-analyzer （EPMA）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscope （AFM）, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The structural formula of the Zhongxiang rectorite is： （Na0.45K0.32Ca0.37Mg0.08）（Al3.78Fe0.11Ti0.10）[（Si6.22Al1.78）O20]（OH）4^＊nH2O. It should be confined to a regular interstratification of （K, Na）-mica and Ca-montmorillonite. SEM observations show that Zhongxiang rectorite occurs as platy and fold-shaped crystals, and mainly as extremely thin plates with thickness ranging from 0.4 to 0.05 μm and a smooth （001） surface. There are well-developed polygonal steps on the surfaces of some thick crystals, suggesting a layer-by-layer growth mechanism. AFM observations show a series of steps with a height of 2 nm on the platy particles, suggesting the stacking of 20 nm fundamental particles. Club-like or fiber-shaped halloysite is included in the platy crystals with their elongated dimension paralleling （001） of the platy crystals or crossing the （001） surface of the platy rectorite, indicating multi-stage crystallization and involvement of hydrothermal fluids. The Zhongxiang rectorite was generated by both layer-by-layer growth mechanism and dissolution and crystallization growth mechanism with multistages.

Synthesis and Characterization of Rectorite/ZnO/TiO2 Composites and Their Properties of Adsorption and Photocatalysis for the Removal of Methylene Blue Dye

As efficient water treatment agents, a novel series of rectorite-based ZnO and TiO2 hybrid composites（REC/ZnO/TiO2） were synthesized and characterized in this study. Effects of experimental parameters including TiO2 mass ratio, solution p H and catalyst dosage on the removal of methyl blue（MB） were also conducted. The presence of a little mass ratio（2%-6%） of TiO2 highly promoted the photoactivity of REC/ZnO/TiO2 in removal of MB dye from aqueous solution, in which ZnO and REC played a role of photocatalyst and adsorbent. The promotion effects of TiO2 may result from the accelerated separation of electron-hole on ZnO. The observed kinetic constant for the degradation of MB over REC/ZnO and REC/ZnO/TiO2 were 0.015 and 0.038 min^（-1）, respectively. The degradation kinetics of MB dye, which followed the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model, had a reaction constant of 0.17 mg/（L min）. The decrease of removal ratio of MB after five repetitive experiments was small, indicating REC/ZnO/TiO2 has great potential as an effective and stable catalyst.

ZnO-chitosan/Rectorite Nanocomposite Exhibiting High Photocatalytic Activities under Visible-light Irradiation

Chitosan(CS),hydrated zinc acetate,and rectorite(REC) were used as raw materials to prepare CS-embedded zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticle by a chemical precipitation process.Hydrogen-bonded REC-loaded ZnO-CS nanoparticle was to form ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite photocatalyst,its morphology and structure were analyzed by means of FTIR,XRD,TGA,SEM,and TEM.The effects of the catalyst dosage,methyl orange(MO) initial concentration and solution pH on photocatalytic performance were also discussed.The experimental results show that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite has a particle size of 100 nm with good dispersion and uniformity.Under irradiation of visible light,0.6 g/L photocatalyst was used to degrade MO in solution for 90 min at pH 6,then the MO solution(10 mg/L) was decolored by more than 99%,indicating that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite exhibited highly photocatalytic degradation activity.Therefore,the photodegradation kinetic mechanism of MO in aqueous solution is presumed.

One-Pot Synthesized Polyurethane-Based Nanocomposites Filled by Original Rectorite with Enhanced Strength and Elongation

The unmodified rectorite（REC）,a kind of layered silicate,was incorporated into polyurethane （PU）as matrix by the process of one-pot synthesizing polyurethane in situ,and hence produced a series of nanocomposite materials with enhanced strength and elongation.It is worth noting that the nanocomposite containing 2 wt%REC had the maximum elongation（1 449%）and strength（32.66 MPa）as ca.2.7-and 1.4-fold over those of neat PU film,respectively.Meanwhile,the unexfoliated agglomerates and exfoliated nanoplatelets of REC co-existed in PU matrix.By virtue of strong interfacial interaction on the surface of REC lamella,the stress facilely transferred to the rigid RECs and hence contributed to the enhancement of strength in spite that the original structure and interaction in the PU matrix were partly cleaved.Moreover,the intertwisting of polymer chains in PU matrix with REC as well as the gliding among the REC lamellae might produce greater strain.Nevertheless,excess unexfoliated REC agglomerates under high loading level inhibited the enhancement of mechanical performances,which verified the key role of exfoliated REC nanoplatelet in improving mechanical performances.As a result,this work submitted a simple method to develop a polyurethane-based nanocomposite with high mechanical performances without any modification of layered silicates and the complicated treatment for exfoliation and dispersion.

Preparation of Granulated Adsorption Material of Water-quenched Slag/rectorite Composite for Removal of Cu(Ⅱ)Ions from Copper Smelter Wastewater

The preparation of granulated adsorption material of water-quenched slag/rectorite composite and the treatment of Cu （ Ⅱ ）-containing copper smelter wastewater with the adsorption material were studied. The experimental results showed that under the conditions with the mass ratio of water-quenched slag to rectorite of 1：1, 10% additive of industrial starch （IS）, and 50% water, and a calcination temperature of 400 ℃, the granulated adsorption material prepared had a density of 1.06 kg/m^3, a porosity of 62.29%, water absorption rate of 58.82%, and compressive strength of 2.22 MPa. The efficiency of wastewater treatment was the best, whereas the rate of spallation loss was low. Under the conditions of natural pH, with the addition of the granulated adsorption material of 0.05 g/mL, a reaction time of 40 minutes, and temperature of 25 ℃, the efficiency of the granulated adsorption material for the removal of Cu （ Ⅱ ） ions from the copper smelter wastewater attained 98.2%, and the quality indexes of the wastewater after treatment conformed with the first level of integrated wastewater discharge standard （GB8978-1996）. The reclamation of the used granulated adsorption material was carried out by de-sorption of the Cu （ Ⅱ） ions from the surface with 1 mol/L sodium chloride solution. The de-sorption rate was 96.4%, and the adsorption material can be reused many times to treat copper smelter wastewater.

Preparation and Structural Characterization of Polystyrene-Rectorite Nanocomposites

The polystyrene/rectorite nanocomposites were prepared by free radical polymerization of styrene containing dispersed organophilic rectorite. The structures and thermal properties of these hybrids have been investigated by X\|ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FT\|IR), positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. It was found that exfoliation of rectorite in polystyrene (PS) matrix was achieved. The average free\|volume radius in the PS/clay nanocomposites is generally same as that in PS. Along with increment of rectorite contents, the interface between rectorite and polystyrene matrix increases, and the free\|volume concentration decreases obviously. And the polystyrene nanocomposites have higher thermal decomposition temperature than pure PS.

Mo supported on natural rectorite catalyst for slurry-phase hydrocracking of vacuum residue:An effect of calcination

In order to develop high-efficiency and low-cost catalyst for the slurry-phase hydrocracking of vacuum residue(VR),the catalyst supported on natural rectorite was prepared,and the effect of calcination modification of rectorite on the catalyst properties and performance was investigated.The support of rectorite and catalyst were characterized by XRD,FTIR,Py-FTIR,H_(2)-TPR and XPS to examine their structures and properties.The comparative reaction results show that VR conversions for the catalysts supported on calcined rectorite were similar with that on raw rectorite,possibly due to the VR cracking reaction controlled by the thermal cracking following free radical mechanism because of few acid sites observed on the catalysts surface.However,the yields of naphtha and middle distillates for the various catalysts were obviously different,and increased following as Rec-Mo(40.4 wt%)

Synthesis and Characterization of Ibuprofen-Rectorite Composites by Solution Intercalation Method

The ibuprofen-rectorite composites were prepared by the solution intercalation method using ibuprofen and rectorite as raw materials, and were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis, Fourier transform infrared analysis and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The experimental results show that the ibuprofen is intercalated into the interlayer spaces of rectorite. The values of the （001） peaks of the ibuprofen-rectorite composite are larger than that of Na-rectorite and reach the largest when the reaction time and ibuprofen amount is 2 h and 0.36 g, respectively. The layered structure of Na-rectorite is destroyed to some extent with the intercalation of ibuprofen into the interlayer space in the structure of Na-rectorite. A part of ibuprofen in the ibuprofen Na-rectorite covers on the surface of Na-rectorite besides some ibuprofen enters into the interlayer space.

Preparation of Rectorite-TiO_2 and Its Application in the Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Wastewater

A photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 powder and rectorite was prepared and activated utilizing solar light and used for degradation of simulated dye wastewater （methyl solution）. The effects of roasting temperature, the way of adding rectorite, and the amount of the rectorite on the photocatalytic activity have been investigated. The results indicated that rectorite-TiO2 photocatalyst prepared with the right proportional amount of rectorite and titanium dioxide, could effectively degrade the methyl orange solution in sunlight. After reacting in sunlight for 8 hours, the methyl orange decolorization reached 96%. The photocatalytic activity of rectorite-TiO2 was much better than that of TiO2 in sunlight.

Synthesis of Cordierite from Rectorite-Talc-Alumina without Additives

Rectorite,Talc and alumina were used to obtain high-quality cordierite with stoichiometric composition (51.3 wt% SiO_2,34.9 wt% Al_2O_3,13.8 wt% Al_2O_3).The water absorption,apparent porosity,bulk density,thermal expansion coefficient,crystalline phases and microstructure were tested by means of X-ray diffractometer(XRD),scanning electronic microscopy(SEM),Archimedes immersion technique,etc.This work systematically studied the synthesizing process of the cordierite.The result shows that the cordierite can be synthesized at a lower temperature and within a wider temperature range by using the rectorite as clay raw materials.

Treatment of Oily Wastewater Using Composite Flocculant of Polysilicate Ferro-Aluminum Sulfate – Rectorite

In this study, a novel flocculant was prepared by an inorganic polymetric flocculant (IPF) - polysilicate ferro- aluminum sulfate (PSFA) and rectorite (REC). The structure of the PSFA-REC composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), in order to determine the optimal temperature. The flocculation test was made at 25℃, 45℃ and 65℃, the results indicated that when the temperature was 65℃, the removal efficiency of the oil and COD was the best, which was 87.2% and 92.6% respectively. Then by comparisons among rectorite (REC), PSFA and the composite PSFA-REC at the temperature of 65℃ and the optimal dosage of 11 mg/L, the composite PSFA-REC showed better flocculation performance than flocculant REC and PSFA alone.

Preparation of Intercalated Clay/Phenolic Resin Nanocomposites under High Pressure

High pressure method was ased for the first time to produce rectorite clay （REC）/phenolic resin （PF） and organic rectorite clay （OREC） /phenolic resin and montmorillonite（ MMT）lphenolic resin （PF） nanocomposites. The structure of the material phase was studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared （ FT- IR ） spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis （ TGA ）, and atomic force microscopg＂ （AFM）. The experimental results show that intercalated clay/resin nanocomposites could form under normal temperature and high pressure conditions by the intercalation of polymeric molecules rather than interlayer polymerization.

Nanosheet-coated synthetic wood with enhanced flame-retardancy by vacuum-assisted sonocoating technique

Compared to natural woods,synthetic woods have superior mechanical stability,thermal insulation,and flame retardancy owing to their hierarchically cellular microstructures and intrinsic advantages of the thermosetting matrix.Increasing the long-time fire resistance is very important to the practical application.In this study,we present a novel coating strategy by a vacuum-assisted sonication technique(sonocoating)with a rectorite nanosheet dispersion to create a uniform nanocoating on the channel walls of synthetic wood.Owing to ultrasonic energy and vacuum pressure,the nanosheet dispersion can penetrate deep down to form a layered nanocoating on the channel surface.The coated synthetic woods can withstand fire(400-600℃)for more than 10 min with 62%mass retainment,surpassing uncoated synthetic woods and natural woods.Therefore,as a lightweight and strong composite with enhanced flame-retardant performance,the coated synthetic woods have huge potential applications in safe and energy-efficient buildings.