日本ゼオライト学会　刊行物 Publication of Japan Zeolite Association

Because of their cation-exchange properties, their ability to swell and disperse in water and to from organic and inorganic inter layer complexes, smectites have been of interest as the possible materials for industrial applications. Recently in Japan, four chemical companies have been prepared synthetic trioctahedral smectites such as hectorite, saponite and stevensite as industrial raw materials. Dispersions of these synthetic materials show good rhelogical properties compared with natural smectites and, on heating, from porous materials with micropores and meso pores. Several hydrothermal synthesis methods of smectites, including industrial production processes, are reviewed here. Moreover, some novel attractive materials, such as organophilic hectorites possessing ability to disporse in highpolar organic solvents, mesoporous materials having exceptionally large surface areas, and serpentine/saponite interstratified mineral, are prepared from synthesized smectites.