Abstract
Organobentonites were synthesized using benzyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (BTEA) with five different exchange degrees. At low concentrations, the amounts of BTEA exchanged did not reach the value of the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of the bentonite. To obtain full displacement, it was necessary to add an amount of BTEA four-times greater than the CEC. Synthesized organobentonites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, particlesizeanalysis and infrared spectroscopy. The basal spacings of the organobentonites increased slightly with increasing amounts of BTEA cations. Particle-size analyses of the original bentonite and organobentonites showed that the organobentonites contained a greater number of coarse particles than present in the original bentonite. Toluene and xylenes were used as solutes to determine the adsorption properties of the BTEA–bentonites. The 4BTEA–bentonite was evaluated as an adsorbent of water-soluble aromatic hydrocarbons including toluene and xylenes.