REACTIONS OF PHOSPHATE WITH ALUMINUM AND WYOMING BENTONITE
Reactions between phosphate, Al and Wyoming bentonite in aqueous suspensions were studied under two conditions: (1) H3PO4 was added after interlayer hydroxy aluminum complexes had been formed by the addition of Ca(OH)2 to AlCl3 + bentonite suspensions; and (2) H3PO4 was added to AlCl3 + bentonite suspensions before the addition of Ca(OH)2. The suspensions were aerated and maintained at 25 °C.When H3PO4 was added after the formation of hydroxy aluminum complexes, the results were not significantly different from those when Ca(OH)2 was added to suspensions containing both AlCl3 and H3PO4. Phosphate was removed from solution and an interlayer hydrous aluminum phosphate was formed which increased the d(001) spacings of the bentonite. The amount of phosphate removed from solution increased to a maximum with increasing amounts of H3PO4 added and over this range there was no change in cation exchange capacity (CEC). Large amounts of H3PO4 increased the CEC of the bentonite. A major part of the reaction was completed within 24 hours and the values of pH changed only slightly from 1 to 120 days.Values of the (Al) (OH)2(H2PO4) ion product measured after aging for 14 days were larger than would have been maintained by crystalline variscite, but X-ray diffraction studies showed no evidence for formation of a separate crystalline phosphate phase.