Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 July 2024
The sorption of water, at 490°C and ca. 23–24 torr, on clay mineral surfaces has been studied using thermogravimetry and infrared absorption spectroscopy. Results from a series of synthetic hectorites, with and without lattice fluoride (see Granquist and Pollack, 1960), point to the presence of F− in the clay lattice as an important condition for the sorption. Similar studies on natural hectorite and montmorillonite, synthetic interstratified montmorillonite/mica with and without fluoride, and Al2F6 support this interpretation of the role of the F− ion and show that dioctahedral 2:1 clays sorb more water at 490°C than do trioctahedral 2:1 clays. The infrared spectra demonstrate that the sorbed water is for the most part hydrogen-bonded to the surface.