THERMOGRAVIMETRIC, INFRARED AND MASS SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF THE DESORPTION OF TETRAHYDROPYRAN, TETRAHYDROFURAN AND 1,4-DIOXAN FROM MONTMORILLONITE

The desorption of tetrahydropyran (THP), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 1,4-dioxan (DIOX) from Na+-, Ca2+-. Al3+- and Cr3+-exchanged montmorillonite has been studied using variable temperature infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The derivative thermograms for the desorption of each cyclic ether exhibited three maxima but there was little uniformity in the temperatures at which these maxima occurred. Nonetheless, the desorption of both THP and THF occurred at lower temperatures in the Cr3+-exchanged form than in the Al3+-form. The desorption of DIOX showed little cationic dependence. Mass spectroscopic analysis of the thermally evolved vapours indicated that no transformation products were desorbed at temperatures less-than-or-equal-to 230-degrees-C.