Reshm bentonite beneficiation for nanoclay application

Bentonites consist mainly of montmorillonite, the dioctahedral low charged clay mineral of the smectite group. Additionally, quartz, cristobalite, feldspar, pyrite, carbonates, chlorite, kaolinite, mica, and illite frequently occur. Bentonites are used in various fields of technical applications, and one of the most important applications is in nanoclay production. For use of bentonites in nanoclay production, it is necessary to increase the montmorillonite content up to 95%. Various methods for purification of bentonites have been presented. One of the common shortcomings of the known purification methods is that they require much water. In this study, a method for purification of Reshm Bentonite is presented that includes low cost and low water consumption. In this method sodium hexametaphosphate is used for purification treatment. The high purified montmorillonite is obtained for nanoclay production. Purified montmorillonite is intercalated with octadecylamine .This nanoclay has been evaluated