Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-05T02:11:11.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mineralogical and physicochemical investigation of Mg-smectite from Jbel Ghassoul, Morocco

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Abdelaziz Benhammou ,
Boumediene Tanouti ,
Lahbib Nibou ,
Abdelrani Yaacoubi  and
Jean-Pierre Bonnet
Abdelaziz Benhammou*
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquées, Université Cadi Ayyad, Route Sidi Bouzid, BP 63, Safi, Morocco
Boumediene Tanouti
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi Ayyad, Avenue My. Abdellah, BP 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
Lahbib Nibou
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquées, Université Cadi Ayyad, Route Sidi Bouzid, BP 63, Safi, Morocco
Abdelrani Yaacoubi
Affiliation:
Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi Ayyad, Avenue My. Abdellah, BP 2390, Marrakech, Morocco
Jean-Pierre Bonnet
Affiliation:
Groupe d’Etude des Matériaux Hétérogènes, ENSCI, Avenue Albert Thomas, 87065, Limoges Cedex, France
*
* E-mail address of corresponding author: Benhammou_ab@yahoo.fr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

‘Ghassoul’ clay is a Mg-rich clay from Morocco which is of great industrial use and interest, but its characterization is still incomplete. The purpose of this study was to provide further details regarding the structure and characteristics of this important commercial clay mineral. Mineralogical and physicochemical characterizations of the raw form of ‘Ghassoul’ clay from Jbel Ghassoul in Morocco, and of its <2 µm size fraction, purified and Na+-saturated, were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and differential and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG). The XRD data revealed that the raw Ghassoul clay consists mainly of a Mg-rich trioctahedral smectite, stevensite, together with quartz and dolomite. The IR spectra consisted of vibrations typical of trioctahedral smectites. The DTA/TG curves were also similar to those of trioctahedral smectites. Chemical analysis confirms that this Mg-rich trioctahedral smectite is a stevensite characterized by a limited isomorphic substitution of Si4+ by Al3+. The thermal transformations examined by in situ XRD as a function of the firing temperature from 100 to 1200°C indicated that stevensite was transformed to enstatite (MgSiO3) at temperatures >800°C and that quartz was transformed to cristobalite when the temperature exceeded 1100°C. These transformations were irreversible. The specific surface area and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the ‘Ghassoul’ clay are 133 m2/g and 75 meq/100 g, respectively. The main exchangeable cation is Mg2+ (53 meq/100 g).

Keywords

CharacterizationGhassoul ClaySmectiteStevensiteMorocco
Type
Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , April 2009 , pp. 264 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © The Clay Minerals Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Benhammou, A. Yaacoubi, A. Nibou, L. and Tanouti, B., 2005 Adsorption of metal ions onto Moroccan stevensite: kinetics and isotherm studies Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 282 320–326 10.1016/j.jcis.2004.08.168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benhammou, A. Yaacoubi, A. Nibou, L. and Tanouti, B., 2005 Study of the removal of mercury(II) and chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions by Moroccan stevensite Hazardous Materials B117 243–249 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2004.09.023.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benhammou, A. Yaacoubi, A. Nibou, L. and Tanouti, B., 2007 Chromium(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution onto Moroccan Al-pillared and cationic surfactant stevensite Hazardous Materials 140 104–109 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.06.077.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brindley, G.W., 1955 Stevensite, a montmorillonite-type mineral showing mixed-layer characteristics American Mineralogist 40 239–247.Google Scholar
Brindley, G.W. Bish, D.L. and Wan, H.M., 1979 Compositions, structures, and properties of nickel-containing minerals in kerolite-pimelite series American Mineralogist 64 615–625.Google Scholar
Chahi, A. Duplay, J. and Lucas, J., 1993 Analyses of palygorskites and associated clays from the Jbel Rhassoul (Morocco): chemical characteristics and origin of formation Clays and Clay Minerals 41 401–411 10.1346/CCMN.1993.0410401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chahi, A. Fritz, B. Duplay, J. Weber, F. and Lucas, J., 1997 Textural transition and genetic relationship between precursor stevensite and sepiolite in lacustrine sediments of the Jbel Rhassoul (Morocco) Clays and Clay Minerals 45 378–389 10.1346/CCMN.1997.0450308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chahi, A. Duringer, P.h. Ais, M. Bouabdelli, M. Guathier, F. and Fritz, B., 1999 Diagenetic transformation of dolomite into stevensite in lacustrine sediments from Jbel Rhassoul, Morocco Sedimentary Research 69 1125–1135.Google Scholar
Elmchaouri, A. and Mahboub, R., 2005 Effects of preadsorption of organic amine on Al-PILCs structures Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 259 135–141 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2005.02.014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faust, G.T. and Murata, K.J., 1953 Stevensite, redefined as a member of the montmorillonite group American Mineralogist 38 973–987.Google Scholar
Lopez-Duran, J.D.G. Khaldoun, A. Kerkeb, M.L. Ramos-Tejada, M. and González-Caballero, F., 2003 Wettability of montmorillonite clays in humic acid solutions Clays and Clay Minerals 51 65–74 10.1346/CCMN.2003.510108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nibou, L. Benhammou, A. Yaacoubi, A. Bonnet, J.-P. and Tanouti, B., 2003 Synthèse et caractérisation de céramiques de cordiérite obtenues à partir du Rhassoul Annales de Chimie Science des Matériaux 28 83–90 10.1016/S0151-9107(03)00101-6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parthasarathy, G. Choudary, B.M. Sreedhar, B. Kunwar, A.C. and Srinivasan, R., 2003 Ferrous saponite from the Deccan Trap, India, and its application in adsorption and reduction of hexavalent chromium American Mineralogist 88 1983–1988 10.2138/am-2003-11-1242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quakernaat, J., 1970 A new occurrence of a macrocrystalline form of saponite Clay Minerals 8 491–493 10.1180/claymin.1970.008.4.12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shimoda, S., 1971 Mineralogical studies of a species of stevensite from the Obori mine, Yamagata prefecture, Japan Clay Minerals 9 185–192 10.1180/claymin.1971.009.2.04.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trauth, N., 1974 Argiles évaporitiques dans la sédimentation carbonatée continentale tertiaire, Bassin de Paris, de Mormoiron et de Salinelles (France), Jbel Ghassoul (Maroc) France Univ. Strasbourg 309 pp.Google Scholar