Montmorillonite modified with a quaternary ammonium salt C30B/starch nanocomposite (C30B/ST-NC), silver nanoparticles/starch nanocomposite (Ag-NPs/ST-NC) and both silver nanoparticles/C30B/starch nanocomposites (Ag-NPs/C30B/ST-NC) films were produced. The nanoclay (C30B) was dispersed in a starch solution using an ultrasonic probe. Different concentrations of Ag-NPs (0.3, 0.5, 0.8 and 1.0mM) we...

A novel design of combustion catalysts is proposed, in which clay/TiO₂/MnAl-mixed oxide composites are formed by intermixing exfoliated organo-montmorillonite with oxide precursors (hydrotalcite-like in the case of Mn-Al oxide) obtained by an inverse microemulsion method. In order to assess the catalysts' thermal stability, two calcination temperatures were employed: 450 and 600 °C. The composi...

REE (rare earth element) distribution coefficients (Kd) between the aqueous phase and montmorillonite surface were obtained to investigate the relation between the REE distribution patterns and the species of REE sorbed on the solid-water interface. It was shown that the features in the REE patterns, such as the slope of the REE patterns, the tetrad effect, and the Y/Ho ratio, were closely rela...

Amorphous hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) is an important mineral in soils and sediments influencing the mobility and bioavailability of metal contaminants. In this study, nickel and lead sorption to discrete HMO and HMO-coated montmorillonite was investigated mechanistically. The effect of pH and concentration revealed that when normalized to the mass of oxide present, the HMO-coated montmorillo...

Pharmaceuticals have gained significant attention in recent years due to the environmental risks posed by their versatile application and occurrence in the natural aquatic environment. The transportation and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the environmental media mainly depends on their sorption behavior in soils, sediment–water systems and waste water treatment plants, which varies widely a...

The photodebromination of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) adsorbed onto six different solid matrixes was investigated in sunlight and by irradiation with 350 +/- 50 nm lamps (four lamps at 24 W each). After 14 days of lamp irradiation, BDE-209 degraded with a half-life of 36 and 44 days, respectively, on montmorillonite or kaolinite, with much slower degradation occurring when sorbed on organ...

Since the discovery of ruthenium as a catalyst for hydrogenation reactions, Ru catalysts have been widely used in the chemical, petrochemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries, and in energy-conversion technologies. The scope of homogeneous Ru catalysts has been well-illustrated recently. However, heterogeneous catalysts can be preferable from both industrial and environmental perspectives. ...

A fuller's earth worker developed signs of pneumoconiosis. Pathological examination of the lung tissues showed interstitial collections of dust laden macrophages associated with mild fibrosis. Mineralogical analysis showed a high content of montmorillonite. This study shows that a pneumoconiosis can result from prolonged heavy exposure to calcium montmorillonite (fuller's earth) in the absence ...