Adsorption of alcohols by smectites: II. Role of the exchangeable cations

Abstract

Calculations previously used to distinguish between methanol adsorbed in micropores between clay microcrystals (external) and that present in the interlamellar space (internal) of variable charge Ca-montmorillonites have been extended to homoionic Li-, Na- and Bamontmorillonites. It is shown that both the shape and the magnitude of the internal isotherms are in good agreement with X-ray diffraction data. Furthermore, the apparent molecular packing of methanol in the interlamellar space is related specifically to the nature of the charge balancing cation.