Effect of plasma treatment on structure and surface properties of montmorillonite

Plasma treatment of montmorillonite has been investigated as a prerequisite for design of functional nanostructures, based on clay minerals. The effect of short-term (20s) plasma treatment on structure and bonding of montmorillonite has been analyzed using combination of X-ray powder diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that dehydration starts at low discharge power 10W and at 50W is completed. The effect of the plasma treatment was compared to the effect of the heat treatment (8h at 450°C). Both treatments can be considered as similar when dehydration takes place. However, the dehydroxylation does not seem to be triggered by the plasma treatment. Therefore for dehydration only, the plasma treatment can be used instead of much more energy consuming thermal treatment.