Study of Basal‐Spacing and Characteristics of X‐Rays Diffraction‐Peaks of Natural Bentonite‐Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Composites Versus the Polymer Molecular Weight: Experiment and Exact Theory

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates the intercalation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) into a natural Moroccan bentonite. The latter being collected from an industrial area near Nador‐City of Northeast of Morocco. First, we present a powerful theoretical approach based on geometric scaling theory to derive exact scaling relations for key structural parameters. The derived relationship obtained between the basal spacing, , and the polymer molecular weight, , leads to an exact scaling relations for the physical quantities of interest, expressed as where . Afterwards, we have conducted an experimental validation using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) on bentonite‐PEG composites synthesized via solvent‐assisted intercalation , with PEG molecular weights ranging from to . Finally, the results confirm that PEG intercalation efficiency increases with molecular weight, demonstrating excellent quantitative agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental data.