Physical and Chemical Characteristics of the Surface of Powders of Saponite-Containing Material after Its Mechanical Dispersion

The structural-phase transformations on the surface of powdered systems of saponite-containing material after mechanical dispersion have been studied. The comparative informational characteristics used include the degree of crystallinity, adsorption capacity, and specific surface energy as a function of the grinding time regime. It has been established that, despite the constancy of the degree of crystallinity, mechanical grinding of saponite-containing raw materials leads to their activation, which is expressed by a proportional increase in the adsorption capacity of the resulting powders, an increase in the concentration of active adsorption centers, and an increase in specific free surface energy. An increase in the duration of mechanical grinding of the saponite-containing material results in samples with enhanced (compared to the initial material) surface hydrophilicity.