A term referring to a group of clay minerals containing (often brucite-like) layers that have a net positive structural charge and linkage of the layers by way of an anionic (negative) interlayer. The “clay” aspect refers to a (natural) fine-grained material that under appropriate water content will exhibit plasticity and will harden when dried or fired. The term “anionic clay” has the potential for confusion because both anions and cations are structural components. More traditional swelling clays, like smectite or vermiculite, have silicate layers linked by interlayers containing cations, but are generally not referred to as “cationic clays.” More precise and descriptive synonyms are in common usage, and these synonyms may be less confusing, and thus, are preferred over the term “anionic clay”.
Syn., double metal hydroxide, hydrotalcite-like, layered double hydroxide, LDH
Cf., double metal hydroxides