Abstract:
Montmorillonite (MMT) clay has properties that would find applications in
biotechnological and biomedical fields. In this study, naturally occurring MMT clay
was purified using sedimentation and centrifugation techniques. Characterization
of the prepared materials was done using X-ray Florescence (XRF), Fourier
Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR Spectroscopy), UV-Visible
Spectrophotometry (UV/VIS Spec) and X-ray Diffraction Spectrometry (XRD). XRF
showed chemical composition of clay containing Fe2O3 as a major component. The
structural composition as revealed using FT-IR, confirmed presence of various
functional groups of Si-O, Al-OH and Si-O-Al as the major constituents. UV/VIS Spec
confirmed presence of chromophores which absorbed light in the range of 270-300
nm confirming FT-IR results. XRD diffraction patterns confirmed presence of MMT
clay as a major component with illite clay mineral existing as impurity. The sample
contained good quality MMT clay and this study further confirmed the usefulness
of spectroscopic techniques in determination of crystalline nature of
montmorillonite clay.
