INTERCALATION OF SALTS OF FATTY ACIDS INTO KAOLINITE

hydroxystearic, and a blend of Cs---Cto acids in kaolinite has been followed by X-ray powder diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal studies. The 7-/ ~ 'c ' axis spacing in kaolinite xpands to 11, ~ as a result of intercalation; this expansion is independent of the alkyl chain length of the fatty acid. The orientation of the organic molecules in the kaolinite interlayer isnearly flat, and ~H NMR indicates an enhanced ordering in the potassium laurate intercalate. The reversal or equalization of the relative intensities of hydroxyl bands at 3696 and 3619 cm- ~ of kaolinite are related to the phenomenon of intercalation. The decomposition temperature of these salts decreases when they are intercalated in kaolinite