Spectroscopic Characterization of Bentonite

A light yellow colored bentonite clay mineral obtained from India is studied. X ray diffraction (XRD) studies are suggesting that Fe2O3, Al2O3, quartz and Ca bentonite phases are present in the compound. Ca-bentonite is the major constituent and its unit cell is monoclinic with a=5.16, b=8.798, c=9.347A and β=100.46°. Internal structure studied using Transimission electron microscope (TEM) suggests that the clay consists of iron oxide, aluminium oxide, quartz, Ca bentonite. Tetrahedral and octahedral layers are present. Fe3+ is present in the location of Al3+ in the unit cell of Ca-bentonite. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results indicate that the unit cell of the crystal contains Fe(III), and its g values are found to be 4.19 and 2.13. IR studies are indicating that the presence of silicate and hydroxyl anions as ligands. Nonlinear optical measurements are indicating that the compound is having good potential applications in laser safety devices.