Decomposition Behavior Of Metal-Ion Exchanged Clays

This chapter deals with exploring the effect of different metal ions like Mg2+, Al3+, and Fe3+ present in/on MI-clays in altering the kinetics and/or decomposition mechanism of organic modifier, HDTMA-Br. The catalytic activity is seen to be a combined effect of Bronsted and Lewis acid characters associated with the metal ions. The effect varies significantly with the predominant cation in organically modified MI-clays (OMI-clays). Knowing the effect of each metal ion separately, the correlation between clay structural chemistry and organic decomposition onset is established.