Influence of calcium in moisture retention clay

The literature indicates that it is a good water adsorbent in relation to the desiccants commonly used in industry (silica gel, molecular sieve). In this sense, it is a valid alternative and an economic option since the clay is a natural compound, which makes it environmentally friendly.

In this way, it is possible to protect products from moisture with the addi-tional advantage that its desiccant capacity remains practically constant after successive cycles of adsorption - regeneration, using low temperatures (100°C) for the latter process. Considering the interest of increasing the exploitation of bentonite in Argentina, previous studies evaluated its retention capacity, using, among others, a Patagonian bentonite.