Developmental characteristics and geological significance of the bentonite in the Upper Ordovician Wufeng – Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in eastern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Based on the Qiliao section of the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation – Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Shizhu, Chongqing city, the development characteristics of bentonite in eastern Sichuan Basin was examined systematically, and its geological significance and scientific value were analyzed. The main understandings are as follows:(1) Six bentonite dense layers were found in the Qiliao section, mainly occurring in 6 graptolitic belts of the Katian, Rhuddanian and Aeronian. Most of the bentonite dense layers showed obvious increase in clay, peak response of GR curve, and indistinct relationship between volcanic ash and total organic carbon(TOC).(2) The bentonite dense layers of Longmaxi Formation were widely distributed in eastern Sichuan Basin and its periphery, and generally showed GR peak, which can be an important reference interface for dividing the bottom boundary of the Coronograptus cyphus belt and the top boundary of the Rhuddanian in eastern Sichuan Basin and western Hubei province.(3) Taking the bentonite dense layers as the stratification basis of the Rhuddanian and Aeronian, it was determined that the sediment thickness of the Rhuddanian in the eastern Sichuan depression was generally 10–40 m, but only the upper part of the Coronograptus cyphus belt was deposited in the hinderland of Yichang Uplift, and the sedimentary thickness was only 3–7 m.(4) In the hinderland of the Yichang Uplift, at least five and a half graptolitic belts were missing in Wufeng Formation – Rhuddanian, and the deposition time of Rhuddanian was less than 0.4 Ma.(5) The bentonite dense layers were important sedimentary responses to the strong deflection of the Yangtze basin at the turn of the Ordovician–Silurian, which suggested that four tectonic activity periods existed in the eastern Sichuan depression, including the early stage of the depression, the middle-late stage of the depression, the early stage of the foreland flexure and the development stage of the foreland flexure. The high-quality shale was mainly developed from the early stage to the middle-late stage in the depression.

Thermal effects on the strain rate-dependent behavior of highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite

Investigation of thermal effects on the strain rate-dependent properties of compacted bentonite is crucial for the long-term safety assessment of deep geological repository for disposal of high-level radioactive waste.In the present work,cylindrical GMZ01 bentonite specimens were compacted with suction-controlled by the vapor equilibrium technique.Then,a series of temperature-and suction-controlled stepwise constant rate of strain(CRS)tests was performed and the rate-dependent compressibility behavior of the highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite was investigated.The plastic compressibility parameterλ,the elastic compressibility parameterκ,the yield stress p0,as well as the viscous parameterαwere determined.Results indicate thatλ,κandαdecrease and p0 increases as suction increases.Upon heating,parametersλ,αand p0 decrease.It is also found that p0 increases linearly with increasing CRS in a double-logarithm coordinate.Based on the experimental results,a viscosity parameterα(s,T)was fitted to capture the effects of suction s and temperature T on the relationship between yield stress and strain rate.Then,an elastic-thermo-viscoplastic model for unsaturated soils was developed to describe the thermal effects on the rate-dependent behavior of highly compacted GMZ01 bentonite.Validation showed that the calculated results agreed well to the measured ones.

Determination of full-scale pore size distribution of Gaomiaozi bentonite and its permeability prediction

Gaomiaozi(GMZ)bentonite is a potential buffer/backfill material for a deep geological disposal of highlevel radioactive waste.It has a wide pore size distribution(PSD)with sizes ranging from several nanometers to more than one hundred microns.Thus,properly characterizing the pore structures of GMZ bentonite is a challenging issue.In this study,pressure-controlled porosimetry(PCP),ratecontrolled porosimetry(RCP),and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)were used to investigate the PSD of GMZ bentonite,The results indicate that each method has its limitation,and a combined use of PCP and RCP is suitable to obtain the full-scale PSD of GMZ bentonite.Moreover,we also compared the full-scale PSD with nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)result.It is found that there is no significant difference in the range of PSD characterization between NMR and mercury intrusion method(PCP and RCP).However,in a ce rtain range,the detection accuracy of NMR is higher than that of mercury injection method.Finally,permeability prediction based on PCP and SEM data was conducted,and both of the two methods were found to be able to predict the permeability.The combined method is effective to obtain the full-scale PSD of GMZ bentonite,which is the key to estimation of the sealing ability of bentonite buffer.

Activation of Jordanian Ore Bentonite by Sodium Carbonates

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has a large reserve of raw Bentonite in the area of Ain Al-Baida at Basin of Al-Azraq city that has not activated yet to become valid as drilling mud. The Ore Ain AL-Baida Bentonite was investigated and activated by Na2CO3. The products were investigated by chemical analysis, X-Ray Diffraction, rheological properties and free swelling index with clay fraction. It was observed that the activities clay ranged between 0.98 < AC < 1.48 medium to high content of clay minerals. In addition, it was determined the Atterberg limits, the results of plasticity chart and relation between index and clay fraction. This means that the amount of the attracted water will be suitable influenced by the clay that is present in Ore Ain Al-Baida bentonite. The liquid limit was ranged between 83% to 140%, and plastic limit ranged between 39% - 48%. Also, rheological properties (apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity), gel strength, yield point, filtrate loss. These properties have been compared with those standard specifications properties required for the drilling fluid in order to know the appropriate circumstances to activate the Bentonite ore of Ain Al Baida at Azraq basin to become close to the standard specifications required for the drilling fluids, the ratio between Y.P/P.V was ranged 0.88 to 1.21, it is meant that the behavior of drilling fluids confirms the Bingham plastic and power-law rheological models using fine grinding of bentonite mixture with 3% - 6% concentration of sodium carbonate powder.

Effects of synthetic site water on bentonite-concrete system for a potential nuclear waste repository

In high-level nuclear waste(HLW)repositories,concrete and compacted bentonite are designed to be employed as buffer materials,which may raise a problem of interactions between concrete and bentonite.These interactions would lead to mineralogy transformation and buffer performance decay of bentonite under the near field environment conditions in a repository.A small-scale experimental setup was established to simulate the concrete-bentonite-site water interaction system from a potential nuclear waste repository in China.Three types of mortars were prepared to correspond to the concrete at different degradation states.The results permit the determination of the following:(1)The macroproperties of Gaomiaozi(GMZ)bentonite(e.g.swelling pressure,permeability,the final dry density,and water content of reacted samples);(2)The composition evolution of fluids from the synthetic site water-concrete-bentonite interaction systems;(3)The sample characterization including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and X-ray powder diffraction(XRD).Under the infiltration of the synthesis Beishan site water(BSW),the swelling pressure of bentonite decreases slowly with time after reaching its second swelling peak.The flux decreases with time during the infiltrations,and it tends to be stable after more than 120 d.Due to the cation exchange reactions in the BSW-concrete-bentonite systems,the divalent cations(Ca and Mg)were consumed,and the monovalent cations(Na and K)were released.The dissolution of minerals in the bentonite such as albite causes Si increasing in the pore water.It was concluded that the hydro-mechanical property degradation of bentonite takes place when it comes into contact with concrete mortar,even under low-pH groundwater conditions.The soil dispersion,the uneven water content,and the uneven dry density in bentonite samples may partly contribute to the swelling decay of bentonite.Therefore,the direct contact with concrete has an obvious effect on the performance of bentonite.

Effect of drying cracks on swelling and self-healing of bentonite-sand blocks used as engineered barriers for radioactive waste disposal

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the healing of drying cracks in air-dried bentonite-sand blocks after hydration and swelling in groundwater,providing justifications to simplify the protection of blocks prior to installation in a high-level radioactive waste repository.Synthetic groundwater was prepared to represent the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,and was used to hydrate the blocks during the swelling pressure and swelling strain measurements,as Beishan is the most promising site for China's repository.Healing of the surface cracks was recorded by photography,and healing of the internal cracks was visualized by CT images and hydraulic conductivity of air-dried blocks.The results indicate that the maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain are primarily affected by the geochemistry of Beishan groundwater,but not affected by the drying cracks.The maximum swelling pressure and swelling strain of air-dried blocks are comparable to or even higher than the pressure and strain of fresh blocks.The maximum swelling pressure measured in strong(i.e.high ion strength)Beishan groundwater was 44%of the pressure measured in deionized(DI)water,and the maximum swelling strain was reduced to 23%of the strain measured in DI water.Nevertheless,the remained swelling of the blocks hydrated in strong Beishan groundwater was sufficient to heal the surface and internal drying cracks,as demonstrated by the pictures of surface cracks and CT images.The hydraulic conductivity of the air-dried block permeated with strong groundwater was comparable(3.7×higher)to the hydraulic conductivity of the fresh block,indicating the self-healing of drying cracks after hydration and swelling in groundwater.A simplified method of protecting the block with plastic wraps before installation is recommended,since the remained swelling of the block hydrated in Beishan groundwater is sufficient to heal the drying cracks.

Polyoxometalate Supported on Bentonite as Efficient Adsorbent for the Removal of Methylene Blue Dye and Bacteria from Wastewater

Aiming at developing benign multiple decontamination water adsorbent, using low-cost natural raw local materials, we prepared a modified Bentonite supporting polyoxometalate ionic liquid composite hybrid, where each component targets a specific type of water contaminant. The composite material based on water-insoluble polyoxometalate-ionic liquid (POM-IL) consisting of antimicrobial tetraoctylammonium cations, and saturated Keggin-archetype polyoxometalate [PV3W9O40]6− anions, immobilized on Bentonite having an interesting dye removal capacity. The Q8[PV3W9O40]@Bentonite (Q8 = TetraOctylAmmonium), composite was tested for cationic dye removal from waste water. Batch experiments for the adsorption of Methylene Blue MB were conducted to investigate the effect factors containing the initial concentration, contact time, adsorbent amount, pH and Temperatures. According to the results of the kinetic study, the pseudo-second-order model fitted better the adsorption experimental data compared to the first order model. The experimental isotherm data were found to fit the Langumir model well compared to the Freundlich model. The thermodynamic parameters illustrated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The results of the present study showed that modified Bentonite represents an excellent multicomponent low-cost adsorbent for the removal of cationic dye and Bacteria from waste water.

Improvement of Used Transformer Oils with Activated Bentonite

This research presents the evaluation of activated Bentonite material for treatment of used transformer oil. Different properties such as;electrical, physical, chemical and thermal of used transformer oil were meas-ured before and after purification and treatment. Two power transformers were used in this research (6.4: 4.6 MVA, 3 phases, 50 Hz). One of them was filled with purified oil and the other was filled with activated Bentonite treated oil after purification, and then the two power transformers were tested for one year under practical conditions of the operating field. Initial tests have indicated that the use of Activated BENTONITE in the treatment process for the aged transformer oil improved breakdown voltage, water content, total acidi-ty and flash point. Thus activated Bentonite gives an ideal treatment of aged transformer oil with its environmental and economic advantages. Moreover, activated Bentonite is available at many places in Egypt with low costs.

Ni/bentonite catalysts prepared by solution combustion method for CO_2 methanation

A 20 wt% Ni/bentonite catalyst was prepared by a solution combustion synthesis (SCS), which exhibited higher activity for the CO_2methanation than that of an impregnation method (IPM), and the catalyst prepared by SCS showed a CO_2 conversion of 85% and a CH4selectivity of 100% at 300 °C, atmospheric pressure, and 3600 ml·(g cat)-1·h-1, and the catalyst exhibited stable within a 110-h reaction. The results showed higher me- tallic Ni dispersion, smaller Ni particle size, larger specific surface area and lower reduction temperature in the Ni/ bentonite prepared by SCS than that of IPM. And the Ni/bentonite prepared by the SCS moderated the interaction between NiO and bentonite.

Passive Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Ball-Milling Modified Indonesian Natural Bentonite: Laboratory Batch and Column Sorption of Manganese

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for human body. However, elevated concentration of manganese causes severe problem and disease. Acid mine drainage (AMD), wastewater generated due to open-pit mining, commonly contains Mn with exceeded concentration. This study is to investigate the improvement of ball-milling modified Indonesian natural bentonite (INB) for manganese (Mn) removal from AMD and to increase the pH through batch and column sorption test as a passive treatment system approach. The batch sorption test result showed the maximum Mn adsorbed (Qm) on INB from the Langmuir model increased from 4.69 to 17.12 mg/g after milling. The column sorption test result also showed the amount of Mn adsorbed on INB until breakthrough time (qu) and until saturation time (q) increased after milling. The qu increased from 1.27 to 10.06 mg/g, and the q increased from 4.55 to 12.91 mg/g. The mass transfer zone (MTZ) became significantly shorter after milling from 0.22 to 0.07 cm. The Thomas model exhibited the equilibrium uptake of Mn (q0) increased after milling from 3.91 to 13.72 mg/g. In equilibrium condition, both unmilled and milled INB showed the pH increased from ≈3 to 8.

Shear resistance of assembled bentonite interface after confined water saturation and interfacial self-healing capacity

The requisite functions of a bentonite buffer in a deep geological repository depend on the sealing/healing of bentonite interfaces,with particular emphasis on the self-healing(automatic healing upon wetting)of assembled bentonite-bentonite interfaces.This study determined the shear resistance(including the peak shear strength and secant modulus)of densely compacted Gaomiaozi(GMZ)bentonite and its assembled interface after confined water saturation.The effect of bentonite dry density and saturation time on the shear resistance of saturated healed interfaces was elucidated,and the interfacial self-healing capacity was assessed.The results indicate that the shear resistance of the saturated healed interfaces increased with the bentonite dry density but had a non-monotonic correlation with the saturation time.For a given dry density of the bentonite,the saturated healed interface exhibits a lower peak shear strength than the saturated intact bentonite but a higher peak shear strength than the saturated separated interface.The saturated healed and separated interfaces have comparable shear moduli(secant moduli),which are lower than that of the saturated intact bentonite.The saturated healed interfaces display smooth shear failure planes,while the saturated assembled interfaces and intact bentonite exhibit comparable frictional angles.This indicates that interfacial self-healing plays a pivotal role in enhancing interfacial peak shear strength by facilitating microstructural bonding at the assembled interface.Finally,it can be stated that densely compacted GMZ bentonite has a robust interfacial self-healing capacity in terms of shear resistance.These findings contribute to the design of the bentonite buffer and facilitate the evaluation of its safe operation at specified disposal ages.

Anisotropic swelling pressures of compacted GMZ bentonite infiltrated with salt solutions

In the high-level radioactive waste(HLW)deep geological repository,bentonite is compacted uniaxially,and then arranged vertically in engineered barriers.The assembly scheme induces the initial anisotropy,and with hydration,it develops more evidently under chemical conditions.To investigate the anisotropic swelling of compacted Gaomiaozi(GMZ)bentonite and the further response to saline effects,a series of constant-volume swelling pressure tests were performed.Results showed that dry density enhanced the bentonite swelling and raised the final anisotropy,whereas saline inhibited the bentonite swelling but still promoted the final anisotropy.The final anisotropy coefficient(ratio of radial to axial pressure)obeyed the Boltzmann sigmoid attenuation function,decreasing with concentration and dry density,converging to a minimum value of 0.76.The staged evolution of anisotropy coefficient was discovered,that saline inhibited the rise of the anisotropy coefficient(Dd)in the isotropic process greater than the valley(d1)in the anisotropic process,leading to the final anisotropy increasing.The isotropic stage amplified the impact of soil structure rearrangement on the macro-swelling pressure values.Thus,a new method for predicting swelling pressures of compacted bentonite was proposed,by expanding the equations of Gouy-Chapman theory with a dissipative wedge term.An evolutionary function was constructed,revealing the correlation between the occurrence time and the pressure value due to the structure rearrangement and the former crystalline swelling.Accordingly,a design reference for dry density was given,based on the chemical conditions around the pre-site in Beishan,China.The anisotropy promoted by saline would cause a greater drop of radial pressure,making the previous threshold on axial swelling fail.

Effect of Hydrochloric Acid on the Structural of Sodic-Bentonite Clay

The objective of this work is to determine changes of surface properties of a bentonite after acid activation, using hydrochloric acid solutions (HCl) at room temperature. XRD, FX, FTIR, MEB, and BET analyses of the samples have been carried out to examine the structure of bentonite before and after acid activation. It is found that the raw bentonite is composed of dioctahedral montmorillonite with predominant quantity and certain amounts of quartz, albite and illite, etc. It has an cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 74.32 meq/g which allows it to be characterized as typical sodium bentonite. The changes, at low acid concentrations, are the result from from cation exchange (exchangeable cations with H+ ions). Differences of surface area at high acid concentrations (0.25 - 0.4 M) were caused by structural changes and partial decomposition of the samples. Data of surface area measurements have showed that with increase of concentration of hydrochloric acid, the surface area increased. The maximum value (837.11 m2/g) was reached by the sample activated with 0.4 M HCl. By against, activation with higher concentration (0.6 M) caused a decrease in the surface area.

Influence of Heating and Water Exposure on Liquid Limit of Bentonite

Bentonite has been considered as the buffer material for embedding canisters with high-level radioactive waste(HLW)in the deep geology repositories. GMZ bentonite deposit which is located in Xinghe County,Inner Mongolia has been proposed as buffer/backfill material for HLW repository in China. Liquid limit of natural Na-bentonite GMZ01 and commercial Na-bentonite MX80 which were previously put in the oven at 80℃and 95℃,and exposed to water for different times were measured.The liquid limit of GMZ01 increased slightly at the beginning, and then decreased as the heating time increased.

Hydraulic Testing of Compacted Bentonite Used for Plug and Abandonment Operations

The University of Queensland Centre for Coal Seam Gas (UQ CCSG) has investigated plugging wells with bentonite through laboratory experiments and with field trials. This paper presents the laboratory tests, which were used to investigate the stability range of plugged sections for later well plug and abandonment operation designs. The plugs were tested on a specially built well simulator facility at The University of Queensland (UQ), School of Chemical Engineering. The bentonite material used for the plug production was treated with water and 1 weight% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) which acted as a binder to allow the bentonite to be pressed into a cylindrical shape suitable for dropping into vertical wells. The experiments have shown that the best performing plug/casing size combination is able to hold pressure gradients of up to 5.9 bar/m (25.9 psi/ft) after 296 days of hydration before failing. Open hole simulations on the testing facility showed surprisingly high failure pressure gradients of 21.1 bar/m (93.3 psi/ft) after 146 days of hydration. The findings of this research indicate that the use of compressed bentonite is a viable method for sealing wells, whether they can be coal seam gas wells, conventional oil and gas wells, water wells, or coal exploration wells.

纳米级团簇结构Bentonite-DMDAAC-AM乳胶粒的合成与表征

：在 Ｗ／Ｏ乳液的分散相内，使分散于Ｂｅｎｏｎｉｔｅ层间的ＡＭ与预先插层其中的阳离子单体ＤＭＤＡＡ就地共聚合，利用聚合热使 Ｂｅｎｔｏｎｉｔｅ崩解，并进一步层间剥离，从而制备纳米级团簇结构一Ｂｅｎｔｏｎｉｔｅ-ＤＭＤＡＡ-ＡＭ乳胶粒。用动力学方法研究各种因素对聚合热的影响以及聚合热与Ｂｅｎｔｏｎｉｔｅ层片剥离程度的关系；用 ＸＲＤ、ＤＳＣ等手段研究了 Ｂｅｎｔｏｎｉｔｅ的插层与剥离程度，并用乳胶粒的电泳行为及ＩＲ对产物进行了表征。

Removal of Cesium and Strontium from Aqueous Solution by Natural Bentonite： Effect of pH, Temperature and Bentonite Treatment

Sorption of radioisotopes onto a stable colloidal phase may significantly enhance their transport in groundwater. The adsorption of cesium （Cs＋） and strontium （St^＋＋ ） from aqueous solutions onto commercial natural bentonite （NB） was studied as a function of contact time, temperature, bentonite mass and bentonite treatment （washing and heat treatment） on the uptake of these cations, independently. The heat treatment was 700 ℃ and washed bentonite samples termed by CB and WB respectively. Batch experiments results showed that the adsorptive capacity of NB at 293,298 and 308 K for Cs^＋ and Sr^＋＋ were 110,105, 104 and 35, 33.6, 31.8 mg/g respectively. The experimental results for strontium adsorption 293, 298 and 308 K fit well to a Langmuirian and Frendlich type isotherm but cesium adsorption fit better with Langmuir than Frendlich isotherm. Thermodynamic functions, the change of free energy （△G°）, enthalpy （△H°） and entropy （AS°） of adsorption were also calculated for each cation. These parameters showed that the adsorption of Cs^＋ and Sr^＋＋ onto N B was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic. The adsorption of Sr^＋＋ and Cs^＋ increases with increasing pH （pH 2-8） and follows pseudo-second order kinetics reaching equilibrium after an equilibration time of 300 and 5 min respectively. The adsorbed amount of Cs^＋ not affected by washing of NB but affected by the heat treatment. However the adsorbed amount of Sr^＋＋ on WB was higher than NB and CB.

Characterization and Valorization of Two Algerian Bentonites in the Waterproofing Systems

The interest in environment has recently considerably grown, and its protection is now included in the continuous action of the governments and the industries. In Algeria, the different types of waste are currently produced in almost 3.000 illegal dumps, occupying approximately 150.000 hectares. To overcome this problem, waterproofing sites prove the most appropriate solution. It is a geotechnical method to guard against the action of water by narrowing the flow of water through a surface in a given time. The site’s waterproofing technique, in the landfills sites, is nowadays a very necessary condition to protect the environment, which requires the use of appropriate materials. This work deals within the valorization of local materials (sand and bentonite), in the waterproofing technique of the technical landfills site “TLS”. To this end, two types of bentonites from the west of Algeria are used. In order to achieve an optimal mixture, ensuring good performance in terms of hydraulic conductivity, durability and shear strength, mixtures based of sand at different concentrations of bentonite, at compact state are prepared and studied. This study showed that a low permeability of mixture (sand/bentonite) can be achieved with introducing 8% of a calcium bentonite, against 6% of a sodium bentonite. The latter presents a great adsorption capacity and a self healing ability, compared to calcium bentonite. This gives a good sustainability against climate variations of mixture based on sodium bentonite. This mixture has also confered a good mechanical behavior, expressed by the recorded, reduction of the friction angle (Φ) and the increase of the cohesion (C). Therefore it represents an optimal mixture for waterproofing systems, due to its economical and ecological advantages.

Diffusion characteristics of HTO and 99TcO_4^- in compacted Gaomiaozi(GMZ) bentonite

The characteristics of diffusion are essential to the transport of radionuclides through buffer/backfill materials, such as bentonite, which are commonly found in waste repositories. This study used through-diffusion techniques to investigate the diffusion behavior of HTO and ^(99)TcO_4^- on GMZ bentonite of various densities. Diffusion rates were calculated by measuring the diffusion coefficients(De, Da), plotting breakthrough curves and interpreting experiment data. The apparent and effective diffusion coefficients of HTO ranged from(1.68 ± 0.40) 9 × 10^(-11) to(2.80 ± 0.62) 9 × 10^(-11) m^2/s and from(4.61 ±1.28) 9 × 10^(-12) to (16.2 ± 2.50) 9 × 10^(-12) m^2/s, respectively.The apparent and effective diffusion coefficients of^(99)TcO_4^-ranged from(5.26 ± 0.16) 9 × 10^-12to(7.78 ± 0.43) 9× 10^-12m^2/s and from(1.49 ± 0.002) 9 × 10^(-12) to(4.16 ±0.07) 9 × 10^(-12) m^2/s, respectively. The distribution coefficients of HTO and^(99)TcO_4^-ranged from(0.70 ± 0.12) 9× 10^(-2) to(1.36 ± 0.53) 9 × 10^(-2) mL/g and from(1.12 ±0.06) 9 × 10^(-2) to(5.79 ± 2.22) 9 × 10^(-2) mL/g, respectively.The Deand Kdvalues were shown to decrease with an increase in the bulk dry density of compacted bentonite. Our results show that HTO and ^(99)Tc could be considered nonsorbent radionuclides. The data obtained in this studyprovide a valuable reference for the safety assessment of waste repositories.

Synthesis of nano-MoS_2/bentonite composite and its application for removal of organic dye

A nano-MoS2/bentonite composite was synthesized by calcinating MoS3 deposited on bentonite in H2. The obtained composite was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The results show that nano-MoS2 particles are distributed on the surface of bentonite and form layered structures with layer distance of about 0.64 nm. The composite presents an excellent performance for the removal of methyl orange. Some operation conditions affect the removal efficiency of methyl orange, such as dosage of composite, initial concentration of methyl orange, temperature and pH value. However, light source does not influence the removal efficiency. The removal mechanism is attributed to the adsorption of methyl orange on the nano-MoS2/bentonite composite. The adsorption of methyl orange on the composite is in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.