Investigation of the structural and electrical conductivity properties in pure and cation exchanged rectorite

Clay minerals, as biofriendly and low-cost materials, are highly essential for the modern industrial applications including the production of clean energy, its storage and conversion. Here, the capabilities of pure and cation exchanged rectorite, a regularly interstratified phyllosilicate from Beatrix Mine (South Africa) were explored and discussed. A comprehensive characterization was performed by means of high resolution solid-state NMR, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. 23Na MAS and 3QMAS NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize accessibility of interlayer space in rectorite for exchangeable cations. Three Na sites attributed to easily exchangeable Na+ on the surface or in large pores, Na+ in dehydrated micaceous interlayers and Na+ in hydrated smectite interlayers were identified. Differences in hydration states in smectitic interlayers depending on the type of intercalation were detected using 1H MAS NMR. A higher amount of hydrating water molecules in pure and Mg-exchanged rectorites was attributed to the higher hydration energy of Ca2+ and Mg2+. The temperature dependences of electrical conductivity in this work were best described using the empirical Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher equation with the temperature-dependent effective activation energy parameter. Significantly stronger change of activation energy in Mg2+ exchanged rectorite in the temperature range of 10 °C to 50 °C as compared to pure rectorite and its Na+, Li+ and NH4+ modifications was related to an extensive H-bond network in the interlayers, which facilitated an effective proton transfer responsible for electric conductivity. The obtained resutls suggested a greater potential for the use of Mg-exchanged rectorite as ionic conductor at enhanced temperatures.