Synthesis of Al-intercalated montmorillonites using microwave irradiation

Abstract

Microwave irradiation has been used to synthesize intercalated clays during the intercalation reaction. The obtained montmorillonites, when compared to conventionally prepared clays, presented a higher surface area (340 m2 g cf. 244 m2 g–1). This method presents the advantage of reducing the synthesis time and the possibility of handling highly concentrated clay suspensions and intercalating solutions.