MODIFICATION OF HALLOYSITE NANOTUBES FOR ENHANCEMENT OF GAS-ADSORPTION CAPACITY

Abstract

Structure control and quantitative evaluation of porous materials are essential for many industrial and consumer applications of clay minerals, and nanotubular halloysite (HNT) has been used extensively for such purposes; performance enhancements are still needed, however. The objective of the present study was to improve the gas-adsorption capacity of HNT by controlling the particle size and porosity. This was accomplished through acid treatment and particle-size fractionation by centrifugation. Various particle sizes were obtained and porosities ranged from macropores to mesopores. Natural halloysite nanotubes were modified by sulfuric acid in various concentrations to selectively remove the alumina composition of the tubes. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to verify the mineralogical and compositional changes. Surface modification by the acid treatment increased the inner space volume of the tubes and decreased the mass of the nanotubes because of the elimination of alumina. The gas adsorption capacity of both natural and modified halloysite nanotubes was measured quantitatively using N2 adsorption and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and the morphology was determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The results showed that the modified halloysite nanotube was 7.47 times more efficient at gas adsorption than pristine halloysite. Moreover, the dealumination of the surface increased the inner space. Greatly increased porosity characteristics, including gas adsorption and macroporosity, were obtained through modification by acid treatment.