Method for production of pillared clay having cation-exchange capacity

Abstract

A pillared clay possessing the ability to exchange cations is produced by a method which comprises heating a cation-exchange clay consisting of (1) silicate layers composed of octahedrons of alumina having part of the aluminum thereof substituted by magnesium or octahedrons of magnesia having part of the magnesium thereof substituted by lithium and tetrahedrons of silica and parallelly arranged in a state assuming negative electric charge and (2) exchangeable cations interposed between the silicate layers in a state retaining an electric charge balance with the negative electric charge of the silicate layers, thereby causing part of the exchangeable cations to be fixed in the silicate layers and inducing a decrease in the cation-exchange capacity of the clay, then cross-linking the interstices between the silicate layers of the clay, and thereafter causing liberation of the fixed cations. By causing a pillared clay which possesses the ability to exchange cations to be further cross-linked with pillars different from the pillars used in the clay, a pillared clay having pillars of a plurality of kinds is produced. By causing a pillared clay which possesses the ability to exchange cations to be further cross-linked with pillars identical with the pillars used in the clay, a pillared clay containing increased amounts of pillars is obtained.