Simulation of the XRD patterns, structural properties of a synthetic Na-Hectorite exchanged Cu2+ and Ca2+

The aim of this paper is to determine the hydration characteristics of Na-hectorite exchanged Cu2+ or Ca2+. The number and positions of H2O molecules are determined by an indirect method based on the comparison between theoretical and experimental XRD patterns. The obtained results on air-dried Hectorite-Cu (H-Cu) and Hectorite-Ca (H-Ca) showed that these samples are characterised by 12.49 Å and 15.10 Å basal spacing respectively. These values correspond respectively to one and two water layers in the interlamellar space.