Chemical, sorptive and morphological properties of montmorillonite treated with ammonium bifluoride (NH4HF2) solutions

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Abstract
The fluorination of montmorillonite by aqueous ammonium bifluoride solution (NH4HF2) has been investigated by chemical, sorptive, porosimetric and electron microscopic methods. Changes in the chemical composition of the montmorillonite during the fluorination were compared both in the crystal surface and in the bulk sample. The accumulation of fluorine was distinctly zonal, being present mainly in the surface layers. The electron microscope studies showed that the 300–400 nm thick macrodomains in the initial montmorillonite were cracked into small microdomains 20–30 nm in thickness, this resulting from disruption in the continuity of the octahedral sheets. These distinct changes in morphology of the montmorillonite aggregates particularly influenced the porosity and sorptive properties.