Palygorskites

Palygorskite and sepioHte minerals are 2 1 layered phyUosiHcates that differ from the above mentioned clays because the octahedral sheets have significant intracrystalline void space caused by discontinuous octahedral layers. The basal tetrahedral unit is connected to an adjacent inverted basal tetrahedral creating a void space or channel. Charge deficits are balanced by hydrated cations in the intracrystalline space. 

Bentonite is a rock rich in montmorillonite that has usually resulted from the alteration of volcanic dust (ash) of the intermediate (latitic) siliceous types. In general, reUcts of partially unaltered feldspar, quartz, or volcanic glass shards offer evidence of the parent rock. Most adsorbent clays, bleaching clays, and many clay catalysts are smectites, although some are palygorskite [1337-76 ]. 

Palygorskite and sepioHte are different from other clay minerals in the manner in which the 2 1 layers are joined. Rather than being joined in a continuous manner, the tetrahedral sheets are joined to an adjacent inverted tetrahedral layer, making the octahedral layers noncontinuous and leaving an open channel in the mineral stmcture (37,38,148). The dimension of palygorskite is teI.S nm (18 E) the dimension of sepioHte is 9e2.7 nm (27 E) (37). 

Fig. 31. Effect of heating rate on the weight curve for palygorskite. Solid line 6 °C/min, dotted line 0.5 °C/ min...

As a consequence the heating rate must not only be linear but also adapted to the type of reaction which is to be expected. In certain cases stepwise heating may be chosen, since this better approaches the isothermal conditions. Figure 31 shows the effect of the heating rate on the shape of the TG-curve in the case of palygorskite, a complex layer silicate28. Only the low heating rate (0.5 °C/min) allowed to resolve the individual dehydration steps. 

Styrene Polymerization Palygorskite, kaoUnite, and montmorillonite Weakest catalyst is montmorillonite... 

The discovery of the calcrete hosted surfical uranium deposits of Namibia demonstrated the presence of widespread uranium in calcrete filled palaeochannels (Hambleton-Jones 1984) and similar mineral deposits have been observed elsewhere in Southern Africa, USA and Australia (Carlisle 1978 Hambleton-Jones 1978 Mann Deutscher 1978). The host rocks are typically lenticular bodies of alluvium, soil or detritus material cemented by calcite, gypsum, palygorskite, and other mineral phases. Uranium mineralogy is dominated by the mineral Carnotite [K2(U02)2(V04)2.3(H20)] as the main mineral in these channels. However other phases such as andersonite (Na2K3U03(C03)3(H20)6), liebigite (Ca2U02(C03)3(H20)io ... 

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