Introduction.

The use of clays activated by chemical modification for the adsorption and removal of analytes in different matrices has opened a great window in the investigation of their potentialities in different fields from those that have already been studied, due to their excellent capacity of cation exchange and their great physicochemical properties. In this work the application of natural montmorillonite type clays (Mt-Na) activated by specific functionalizing agents is studied.

Objective.

Activate a Mt-Na type clay and use it in the bleaching process of crude palm oil, and for the removal of the indigo carmine dye used in the textile industry.

Materials and methods.

The clay was provided by the company Bentominercol S.A.S. (Líbano-Tolima). Crude palm oil was purchased from the Oleodavila palm plant in the Tumaco region (Nariño). The chemical reagents used are of analytical grade. The modified clay was characterized by X-rays, TGA thermal analysis, and FTIR infrared spectroscopy.

Results.

The bleaching of crude palm oil was achieved, obtaining a CB bleaching capacity of 96%. It was also used in the adsorption of the indigo carmine dye in a prepared water matrix contaminated with said dye, where the removal of up to 97% of said dye in water was achieved.

Conclusions.

Montmorillonite clays are a material that is easily modified or structurally functionalized, which allows obtaining new materials for technical and industrial application according to the results obtained in this study.