Activated Clay

Activated Clay

Activated clay the use of clays for healing purposes is widespread and is based on wellknown beneficial effects discovered after trials and errors or based on clinical–biological basis. This special issue is devoted to different aspects of clays and health. It is opened by a review on the beneficial and harmful effects of minerals in general and clay minerals.

Applications

derived from naturally occurring bentonite, kaolin, or montmorillonite clays, undergoes a chemical or thermal process that enhances its adsorptive and catalytic properties. The process typically involves treating the clay with acid or heat, which increases its surface area, porosity, and ability to adsorb or catalyze reactions.

Petrochemical Industry

is widely used in the petrochemical industry due to its strong adsorptive properties and ability to act as a catalyst.

Catalytic Cracking: is used as a solid acid catalyst in catalytic cracking, a process in which heavy hydrocarbons from crude oil are broken down into lighter, more valuable.

Desulfurization: plays a key role in adsorbing sulfur compounds during the refining process, helping to meet environmental standards for sulfur content in fuels. This makes activated clay a crucial material in hydrodesulfurization processes.

Hydrocracking and Hydro processing: In these processes, helps to convert heavier crude oils into more valuable products by breaking down complex molecules in the presence of hydrogen.

Alkylation: Activated clay is also used to catalyze alkylation reactions that produce high-octane gasoline components by combining smaller molecules (like isobutane) with larger ones (like olefins).

Environmental Remediation

One of the most prominent uses of activated clay is in environmental applications, particularly for pollution control and remediation.

Water Purification: Activated clay is widely used in water treatment plants, where it helps remove toxic metals (such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic), organic contaminants, and suspended particles from both industrial wastewater and drinking water.

Oil Spill Remediation: Activated clay’s high adsorptive capacity for hydrocarbons makes it highly effective for cleaning up oil spills. When used as part of oil spill response efforts, activated clay can absorb large amounts of oil, removing it from water bodies, reducing the environmental impact.

Soil Remediation: Activated clay is also used to adsorb and remove contaminants from soil, particularly in areas affected by industrial waste or agricultural runoff.