Dehydration of K-Exchanged Montmorillonite at Elevated Temperatures and Pressures

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Abstract
The dehydration temperature of K-montmorillonite, obtained by ion exchange of a Na-mont-morillonite, was determined at pressures to 2 kbar, using high-pressure differential thermal analysis. Dehydration reactions were found at about 50° and 100°C above the liquid-vapor curve of water. At pressures above the critical point of water the dehydration temperatures increased only slightly. The temperature of the first dehydration reaction is 10°C higher than for Na-montmorillonite, indicating a slightly greater stability of the hydration shell around the potassium interlayer cation. The second dehydration reaction occurs at a slightly lower temperature. The data were used to determine the enthalpy of the dehydration ΔH(dh) and the bonding enthalpy of the interlayer water ΔH(iw) at 1 atm. The first dehydration reaction of the K-exchanged montmorillonite has a ΔH(dh) = 46.16 ± 0.06 kJ/mole and a ΔH(iw) = 7.8 ± 0.5 kJ/mole, whereas for the second reaction, ΔH(dh) = 56.7 ± 2 kJ/mole and ΔH(iw) = 19.8 ± 2 kJ/mole. These values compare with a ΔH(dh) = 46.8 ± 0.3 kJ/mole and a ΔH(iw) = 7.8 ± 0.5 kJ/mole for the first dehydration reaction of the Na-montmorillonite and a ΔH(dh) = 62.9 ± 2 kJ/mole and ΔH(iw) = 27.1 ± 2 kJ/mole for the second dehydration.