The Effect of KOH Activation on Physicochemical Properties of Bentonite From Aceh Tamiang Puji Wahyuningsih Muslimah Yusnawati
Universitas Samudra
Abstract
Alkali-activated materials offer a promising alternative for low-carbon building supplies. One of the phyllosilicate class of minerals, bentonite is crystalline and has a layered structure with 2:1 arrangement. The objective of the research is to understand how potassium hydroxide activation impacts the physicochemical properties of bentonite. In this investigation, various kalium hydroxide (KOH) concentrations were used to activate montmorillonite materials is 1 M, 1.5 M, 2 M and 2.5 M. Following activation, the materials were dried for 2 hours at 110 degree Celcius and then the activated bentonite was dried at 170 degree Celcius for 4 hours. Advanced analytical methods, such as powder XRD, FTIR, and SEM were used to characterize the activated bentonite. According to XRD analysis data, adding kalium hydroxide to bentonite causes a minor shift toward a higher angle but does not alter the basal spacing d001 on the diffractogram. The result of the FTIR analysis of the alkaline activated bentonite revealed that the functional groups -OH and Si-O-Si in the octahedral sheet structures, which are the elements of the mineral bentonite, are present but groups Al-Al-OH in the tetrahedral sheet does not appear due to the dehydroxylation process in bentonite. Analysis of the surfaces morphology revealed that KOH activation increased pore size in surface materials and more porous produce. The concentration of KOH required to activate bentonite at a level that results in the greatest physicochemical characteristics is 2 M. Applications for bentonite regarding low-carbon building materials are improved by the physicochemical character of the material following base activation.
Keywords: bentonit, activation, KOH
Topic: Materials Sciences: Synthetic and Characterization
