Organophilic clays and their application in atrazine adsorption

Abstract Atrazine’s adsorptive capabilities make the use of clays practical and effective. Three types of organophilic clays modified by cationic surfactants with the ability of one of these clays to adsorb atrazine in an aqueous medium are discussed in this work. The modification in clays was done with the surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride. The X-ray diffraction data indicated different lamellar expansions for the three organophilic clays obtained when compared to in natura clay, proving the presence of quaternary ammonium salts in the interlamellar space. There was also a decrease in the specific surface area showing less accessibility to the lamellar spaces due to the presence of surfactants. The thermogravimetric analysis showed a negative variation profile in all the clays. The adsorption test showed a better capacity for atrazine adsorption in the organophilic clay of 64% when compared with 36% of in natura clay, and it followed the Freundlich isotherm model.