Acid activation of bentonite clay

The activation of bentonite clay with 0,1 M and 1,8 M hydrochloric acid solution was carried out. The EDS analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the chemical composition and morphology of the particles of obtained samples. Montmorillonite, the main component of the examined clay is represented by Ca-form (CaM). The treatment of clay samples with diluted acid solutions results in the interlayer cations removal while the structural ions of montmorillonite were preserved.