Influence of microwaves on the preparation of organoclays

Microwave activation under hydrothermal conditions (M-H) has been used for the preparation of organoclays, materials widely applied as rheological additives. Microwave (MW) irradiation has several advantages over conventional procedures, such as rapid heating and enhanced reaction rates. The combination of microwaves with mild reaction conditions (hydrothermal processing) represents an interesting ecofriendly choice in the context of Green Chemistry. In this study, the microwave technology was applied to the preparation of organophilic clays by treating synthetic fluorophlogopite-type micas with different quaternary ammonium salts. The full conversion of the clays into their corresponding organophilic derivatives was easily achieved, as shown by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns. In most cases microwave irradiation resulted to be superior to conventional heating, yielding a complete intercalation in shorter reaction times.