CHARACTERIZATION, PILLARING AND CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF A SAPONITE FROM VICALVARO, MADRID, SPAIN

The characterization, pillaring ability and some catalytic properties of a saponite from the Vicalvaro deposit of Tolsa, located in Madrid h ave been studied. This mineral is associated with sepiolite in the sam e lacustrine environment. The raw saponite presents, as special charac teristics, high specific surface area (>200 m(2)/g) and a high percent age of tetrahedral Al (90% of the total Al in the sample). Natural sap onite gives rise to high conversions when used as a catalyst in the re action of alkylation of benzene with 1-dodecene. Increased catalytic p erformances are obtained over the alumina-pillared saponite derivative s. These materials have also been tested in the cracking of gas-oil (m icroactivity test), giving good conversions and high selectivity towar ds the gasoline fraction, especially the pillared forms.