Abstract
Dehydration of a series of homoionic alkali-exchanged montmorillonites is studied at different treatment temperatures by means of thermogravimetric analysis. More specifically, we investigate the last stages of dehydration when the number of adsorbed water molecules corresponds, at maximum, to a monolayer. Weight losses are measured at several constant temperatures as a function of time. Application of Van't Hoff's law yields the dehydration enthalpy. Trends and data similar to those reported from other experimental conditions are found. Comparison with X-ray data and with the dissociation enthalpy of alkali cation/water complexes shows that dehydration of weakly hydrated homoionic alkali montmorillonites results from the competition between opposite energy contributions due to (i) the cation solvation, (ii) the hydration of the silicate interlayer surface, and (iii) the structural swelling. So, depending on the balance between these various energy contributions, different behaviors are observed according to the nature of the alkali cations.