Production of reduced charge montmorillonite pigment

摘要

Preparation of so-called "reduced charge" montmorillonite or bentonite pigment from a naturally-occurring crude clay containing dioctahedral montmorillonite by ion-exchanging cations in the clay with hydrogen ions while the clay is in slurry form, filtering, pugging the filter cake with a preselected amount of a neutral or alkaline lithium salt, preferably the oxide, hydroxide or carbonate, and heat treating to collapse the mineral structure.