Effect of interlayer cations on montmorillonite swelling; Comparison between molecular dynamic simulations and experiments

四辻 健治*; 舘 幸男; 佐久間 博*; 河村 雄行*

Applied Clay Science, 204, p.106034_1 - 106034_13, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2021.106034

This study investigated swelling behaviors of montmorillonite with interlayer cations including monovalent Na, K and Cs, and divalent Ca and Sr by molecular dynamics simulations and experimental measurements coupling X-ray diffraction and water vapor adsorption. The comparative analysis provides a consistent picture of the swelling mechanisms of montmorillonite and their dependence on the interlayer cations. From comparative analysis of the effects of the interlayer cations, the main factor affecting the swelling behaviors of montmorillonite with monovalent and divalent interlayer cations seems to be the hydration free energy of the interlayer cations. The crystalline swelling ability and the saturated water contents in the interlayer of montmorillonite can be correlated to the hydration free energy of each interlayer cations. The additional key factor is the preference of outer- or inner-sphere complex of interlayer cations and resulting cations distributions in the interlayer space. This effect has a significant impact in the case of monovalent cations, resulting different swelling behaviors between outer-sphere Na and inner-sphere K and Cs.