Influence of Nano-Modification on Structural, Mechanical and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Bentonite

Abstract

The paper studies the influence of nanodispersed aluminum and silicon oxides on the structural, physico-chemical and mechanical characteristics of calcium-magnesium bentonite deposits of the Republic of Tatarstan, in order to determine the optimal concentrations of the nanomodifier, and to improve the performance of respective materials. It was found that nanomodification of bentonite increases the strength of samples after firing by more than 1,5 times, the adsorption index by 20–25 %. The optimal concentration of nanoparticles was determined by changing the properties. The methods of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), x-ray phase analysis and infrared spectroscopy show an increase in the specific surface area, a change in the phase composition of the annealed samples, the intensity and position of the characteristic absorption bands, as well as the chemical bond silicon-oxygen in bentonite, modified by nanoparticles of aluminum and silicon oxides of similar nature.