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Title: Adsorption of aniline and toluidines on montmorillonite: Implications for the disposal of shale oil production wastes

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10133217· OSTI ID:10133217

Bentonite clay liners are commonly employed to mitigate the movement of contaminants from waste disposal sites. Solid and liquid waste materials that arise from the production of shale oil contain a vast array of organic compounds. Common among these compounds are the aromatic amines. in order to assess the ability of clay liner material to restrict organic compound mobility, the adsorption of aniline and o-, m-, and p-toluidine on Ca{sup 2+} - and K{sup +}-saturated Wyoming bentonite was investigated. Adsorption experiments were performed under conditions of varied pH, ionic strength, and dominate electrolyte cation and anion. organic adsorption on Ca{sup 2+} - and K{sup +}-saturated montmorillonite is pH dependent. For any given organic compound, maximum adsorption increases with decreasing ionic strength. organic compound adsorption is inhibited in the presence of sulfate and is greater in the Ca{sup 2+} systems than in the K{sup +} systems at any given ionic strength. High salt content and K{sup +} collapse the bentonite layers and limit access to and compete for adsorption sites. The K{sup +} ion is also more difficult to displace than Ca{sup 2+} from interlayer positions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic data show that the aniline compounds are adsorbed on bentonite through the hydrogen bonding of an amine hydrogen to a surface silica oxygen. Sulfate reduces amine adsorption by removing positively charged anilinium species from solution to form negatively charge sulfate complexes. Although adsorption of the substituted amines on bentonite is observed, aniline and toluidine adsorption is minimal in saline systems and not detected in alkaline systems. Thus, in shale oil process waste disposal sites, the mobility of the anilines through bentonite liners will not be mitigated by sorption processes, as spent oil shale leachates are both highly alkaline and saline.

Research Organization:
Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC21-86MC11076
OSTI ID:
10133217
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/11076-3198; ON: DE93000237
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jan 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English