Abstract:
We address amorphization of montmorillonite crystal structure. Powdered montmorillonite samples with an effective particle diameter $D\le 630\mu$m were treated by microwave field with the frequency $2.45$ GHz and power $750$ W for ten minutes in different environments. The first sample was treated in an air environment, the second one in a humid environment. The third sample was a ceramic mass with $10\%$ concentration of mixing water (with respect to the total mass). The model describing amorphization is based on results of X-ray analysis. Activation energies were evaluated for covalently and ionically bound oxygen ions, hydroxyl groups, and silicon (aluminum) ions. It is shown that the amorphization is carried out in four stages. In fractions of the energy consumption of the last stage the first one consumes $7\div 9\%$, the second one takes $13\div 15\%$, and the third one takes $49\div 59\%$.