Method of removing hydrocarbon contaminants from air and water with organophilic, quaternary ammonium ion-exchanged smectite clay

摘要

A method of removing hydrocarbon contaminants from air and a method of removing nonionic organic contaminants, particularly petroleum- derived aromatic contaminants that have a limited capacity to ionize in aqueous solution at substantially neutral pH, from water, by contacting the contaminants in the air or water with an organophilic clay that has been prepared by ion-exchange of an ion-exchangeable clay with a tetra short chain alkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4) quaternary ammonium ion for use in removing air-laden contaminants; or a di- or tri- short chain alkyl (C. sub.1 -C.sub.4), with one or two mono- substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl moieties, or one or two mono-substituted or unsubstituted aryl or one or two alkaryl moiety quaternary ammonium ion for removing air and water-laden contaminants. The method is particularly adapted for removal of aromatic petroleum-based contaminants from water, such as benzene, toluene, xylene (o, m and p) ethylbenzene and naphthalene, and other water-contained petroleum constituents or derivatives that have a pKa in aqueous solution of at least about 10.