Thixotropic and Viscoelastic Properties of Hydrotalcite Like Compound-Montmorillonite Suspensions

The thixotropic and viscoelastic properties of the complex suspension made up of hydrotalcite-like compound (HTlc)-sodium montmorillonite (MT) suspensions have been studied carefully. Two kinds of Fe-Mg-Al-HTlc systems have been examined, and from sample 1 to sample 2, the content of Mg²⁺ enhances gradually while the molar ratio of Al to Fe remains constant. With increasing the content of Mg²⁺ in the HTlc samples, the results of the creep tests and the stress sweep experiments all indicate that the structure strength of the HTlc/MT suspension increases. Moreover, the hysterisis loops have been detected carefully, showing that the thixotropic degree increases with increasing the Mg²⁺ content. It was concluded that the rheological properties could be adjusted by the change of the metal content.