Spectroscopic study of hectorite dissolution in HCl

The dissolution of < 2 μm fraction of hectorite in 0.25-1.0 M HCl at 20°C was characterized using quantitative chemical analysis, 29 Si MAS NMR, and IR spectroscopies. The rate of dissolution increased with acid concentration. Li was dissolved slightly faster than Mg in 0.25 M HCl, revealing that protons preferentially attack Li octahedra. The gradual changes of Si-O stretching bands in the IR spectra reflect the extent of dissolution. -from Authors