PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A HIGHLY STABLE PILLARED CLAY - GAAL12-PILLARED RECTORITE

The preparation, thermal stabilities and surface acid characteristics of a novel microporous GaA1(12)-pillared rectorite have been studied. GaA1(12)-pillared rectorites with different pillar concentrations ranging from 2.0 to 6.0 mmol of GaA1(12) g(-1) of day, are reported. The GaA1(12)-pillared rectorite with pillar loading of 6.0 mmol (42 mequiv) GaA1(12) g(-1) of clay, exhibits outstanding thermal stability, maintaining a strongly ordered gallery spacing of 1.00 nm and therefore microporosity, after heating in air at 973 K. Analysis of the IR spectra of adsorbed pyridine revealed both Lewis and Bronsted acid sites similar to those observed for A1(13)-pillared rectorite. Increasing the concentration of pillars from 2.0 to 6.0 mmol GaA1(12) g(-1) of clay, produces materials that possess both greater thermally stability and more abundant acidity. This novel catalytic material represents an overall improvement in both the thermal stability and acid strength of existing alumina-based pillared montmorillonites and rectorites.