Effect of Modification on the Physicochemical and ThermalProperties of Organophilic Clay Modified with Octadecylamine
Organophilic clay was modified by ion exchange reactions using Octadecylamine. The reaction process was carried out at a temperature of 70oC for 90 minutes reaction time in a batch reactor equipped with a mechanical stirrer rotating at a speed of 300 rpm. Physicochemical and thermal 
properties of the clay before and after modification were determined and compared using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope/ Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM/EDX),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). FESEM images show clearly the micro structural differences between the modified and unmodified clay while EDX shows a compositional changes between modified and unmodified 
clay with the presence of 7.27% carbon in the modified clay. The analysis of FT-IR spectra shows the attachment of some functional groups which are mostly alkyl and hallo-alkyl groups. This is an indication of proper modification. TGA plots of both pure unmodified and organically modified clay attained stability at a temperature between 500oC and 900oC after reduction in weight due to evaporation of moisture and decomposition of the adhered Alkylammonium salts between 30oC and 500oC. This confirmed that thermal stability of the organically modified clay compared favorably with pure natural clay under TGA.
Physic-Chemical Characterization of "NGWO" White Clay for Industrial Use
Ngwo White clay from Udi in Enugu State of Nigeria was analyzed mineralogically and physic-chemically. The results of the chemical analysis are as follows: SiO2:53.2%, Al203:5.906%, K2O:0.121%, Na2O:1.4175%, Fe2O3:0.444%, CaO: 0.0061%, PdO: 0.0049%. The results of the physical analysis are as follows: 8%moisture, 1%Ash, 1.67g/ml bulk density, 5.63P H and 4%Loss on Ignition. The ratio of SiO2:Al2O3 greater than one showed that it can be used in the synthesis of zeolite. The FTIR analysis for the mineral contents confirmed the presence of kaolinite, illite and calcite as the major minerals and chlorite, montmorillonite, quartz, and smectite as the minor minerals in the sample. Sodium montmorillonite found in the clay makes it suitable to be used in oil industry as a drilling mud.
Synthesis and Properties of a Water‐Soluble Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube–Poly(m‐aminobenzene sulfonic acid) Graft Copolymer
Poly(m‐aminobenzene sulfonic acid) (PABS), was covalently bonded to single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to form a water‐soluble nanotube–polymer compound (SWNT–PABS). The conductivity of the SWNT–PABS graft copolymer was about 5.6 × 10–3 S cm–1, which is much higher than that of neat PABS (5.4 × 10–7 S cm–1). The mid‐IR spectrum confirmed the formation of an amide bond between the SWNTs and PABS. The 1H NMR spectrum of SWNT–PABS showed the absence of free PABS, while the UV/VIS/NIR spectrum of SWNT–PABS showed the presence of the interband transitions of the semiconducting SWNTs and an absorption at 17 750 cm–1 due to the PABS addend.