Sorption of nitroaromatic compounds to synthesized organoclays

This project quantifies the ability of seven engineered organoclays to sorb TNT and two of its reduction products: 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-A-4,6-DNT) and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-A-2,6-DNT). The organoclays used in the TNT sorption studies were synthesized in the laboratory by combining bentonite with benzyltriethylammonium chloride (BTEA) at 50, 75, and 100% of the bentonite's cation exchange capacity and with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA) at 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the bentonite's cation exchange capacity. For sorption of 2-A-4,6-DNT and 4-A-2,6-DNT, two organoclays were tested: BTEA at 50% CEC and HDTMA at 75% CEC. Sorption data with HDTMA organoclay and TNT were fit to linear isotherms and demonstrated that the clay's sorptive capacity increased as the amount of total organic carbon exchanged onto the clay increased. Sorption data with BTEA organoclay and TNT were fit to Langmuir isotherms; however, the clay's sorptive capacity increased as the amount of total organic carbon sorbed to the clay's surface was decreased. Sorption behavior for TNT reduction products 2-A-4,6-DNT and 4-A-2,6-DNT to one HDTMA organoclay and one BTEA organoclay demonstrated that HDTMA organoclay at 10.3% total organic carbon was a more effective sorbent than BTEA organoclay at 5.2% total organic carbon.