TECHNOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF CUBATI/BRAZIL MONTMORILLONITE / AVALIAÇÃO TECNOLÓGICA DA MONTMORILLONITA DE CUBATI/BRASIL

The aim of this work was the technological characterization of sample fraction from Cubati region, Pedra Lavrada – Paraiba State, Brazil, in order to evaluate its further applications as drug adsorber and as oil drilling fluid. The sample had been properly processed and characterized by X-ray diffractometry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, cation exchange capacity, thermo-differential and thermogravimetric analysis, determination of textural properties by BET and B.J.H. methods, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and surface charge measurements by means of Zeta potential. The results obtained showed that the studied sample is essentially composed by montmorillonite (smectite), kaolinite, quartz and dolomite, with high contents of silica (37.4%), alumina (17.2%), calcium oxide (5.7%) and iron oxide (7.5%). The CEC value obtained (41.0 meq 100 g -1 ), is due to the presence of kaolinite, which was confirmed by XRD, DTA-TG/DTG and FTIR results. BET and B.J.H. models showed that it is a mesoporous clay mineral, with a surface area of 84.81 m 2 g -1 . The surface charge measurement by Zeta Potential showed that this clay mineral is negatively charged in almost all of pH range studied. Thus, it has high adsorptive potential of drugs cationic species, while activation with sodium carbonate associated with organophilization process allow its application as oil drilling fluid.