| abstract |
The present invention provides synthetic, finely divided water-insoluble layered silicates having a smectite-like crystal phase, with increased contents of bound alkali and silicate and a distinctly reduced swelling power in aqueous suspension relative to pure layered silicates of this type. The synthetic layered silicate of this invention has the following oxide summation formula MgO.aM2O.bAl2O3.cSiO2.nH2O wherein M is selected from the group consisting of sodium and a mixture of sodium and lithium said mixture having a molar ratio of sodium to lithium of at least about 2, n represents the number of water molecules bound in the crystal phase, and a, b, c and n each represent a number having a value within the following ranges: a is from about 0.05 to about 0.4 b is from 0 to about 0.3 c is from about 1.2 to about 2.0, and n is from about 0.3 to about 3.0. |