X-ray study of the intercalant distribution in mixed alkyl ammonium pillared clay

From x-ray-diffraction studies, the synthetic vermiculite intercalation compounds, [(${\mathrm{CH}}_3$ ${)}_4$ ${\mathrm{N}}^{+}$ ${]}_{\mathit{x}}$[(${\mathrm{CH}}_3$ ${)}_3$ ${\mathrm{NH}}^{+}$ ${]}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$-Vm [where 0≤x≤0.96 and Vm=${\mathrm{Mg}}_{0.86}^{2+}$ (${\mathrm{Al}}_{0.48}$ ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{5.52}$)(${\mathrm{Si}}_{5.87}$ ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2.13}$)${\mathrm{O}}_{20}$(OH${)}_4$] are shown to have a solid-solution-type mixed gallery cation distribution. We suggest that the x dependence of the full width at half maximum of key (00l) reflections can be attributed to the differences in the solvation properties of alkyl ammonium ions in the gallery of the host clay.