Montmorillonite, vermiculite and saponite based porous clay heterostructures …

Abstract. Porous clay heterostructures (PCHs) were synthesized from natural montmorillonite and vermiculite as well as synthetic saponite using the surfactant directed method. The direct synthesis of PCHs from saponite and montmorillonite was possible, while the pre-treatment of parent vermiculite with acids was necessary prior to the intercalation step. The PCH samples were characterized w…