Chemical, Mineralogical, and Rheological Characterization of Regional Clays for Potential Use in Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical Products

Abstract

Four clay samples from different deposits in the state of Sergipe, Brazil, were fractionated by dispersion and centrifugation for comparative tests with a standard commercial clay used for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes. For this, they were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, measurements of cation exchange capacity, oil absorption and viscosity, in addition to particle sizes and plasticity indexes. The objective was to determine the physical and chemical properties of raw clays and the consequent granulometric fractions to evaluate their potential use in products with high added value. After fractionation, the samples showed significant amounts of smectite and kaolinite, which combined with the size, particle distribution, chemical composition, and high adsorption capacity, especially in the PDL and PV samples, make them potentially interesting for applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, they can also be used in spas and esthetic centers for therapeutic purposes based on their softness and cation exchange capacity.