Argilas bentoníticas da península de Santa Elena, Equador: pilarização, ativação ácida e seu uso como descolorante de óleo de soja Bentonitic clays of Santa Elena península, Ecuador: al-pilarization, acid-activation and its use in the bleaching of soybean oil

Abstract

Two samples of calcic bentonite of the Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador, were pillared with Al13 ions in the ratio of 10, 15 and 20 meq of Al g-1 of clay, calcinated at 573, 723 and 873 ºK and acid activated with 4, 6 and 8 mol L-1 H2SO4. Analyses by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, differential and gravimetric thermal, density, surface area and porosity, were applied in order to study the modifications occurred in the crystalline structure of the montmorillonite. The 8 mol L-1 H2SO4 acid-activated 15 meq of Al g-1 of clay at 573 ºK Al-pillared samples indicated the best results in the bleaching of the soybean oil measured by UV-visible spectrophotometer.

Keywords

• Al-pillared bentonite
• acid-activated bentonite
• bleaching capacity