Characterization of Zirconia-Pillared Clay With Sulfate Acid Activation

The material from a porous inorganic matrix (clay) and sulfated zirconia which was synthesized by pillarization of clay or bentonite with zirconium dioxide using the hydrolysis method has been characterized. The pillared clay surfaces were acidified by sulfatation method that uses sulfate acid with a concentration of 1 M and 1.5 M. Physical-chemistry properties of sulfated zirconium-pillared clay (ZrO2-bentonite/SO42-) were determined by analyzing of material composition, diffraction pattern, surface acidity, and framework structure. The result showed that the acidity of zirconia-pillared clay increases from 9.70 mmol/g for 1 M acid concentration to 11.30 mmol/g for 1.5 M acid concentration. The pillarization and sulfatation of the clay caused the shifting of the 2 theta angle and decreasing of peak intensity on diffractogram. However, it is not made the structure of ZrO2-bentonite become fall out. The FT-IR spectrum showed that no shifting on stretching vibration for Si-O-Si and Al-O-H due to acid concentration variation.