The aim of this present work, was to study the interaction of various organic compounds with a range of cation exchanged montmorlllonites. The first part of the study involved investigating the rate of sorption of methanol,Propan-2-ol (i-propanol), 2-methyl-propan-2-ol (t-butanol), tetrahydropyran (TUP), letrahydrofuran (THF), and 1,4-dioxan, onto a Wyoming montmorlllonite saturated with Al^+ , Cr"^+ , or Fe^+-cations using isothermal gravimetry m the temperature range 18°-105°C, using samples of differing weights and grain size distributions. The sorption rates for all the compounds increased with decreasing sample and grain size demonstrating that inter- rather than intraparticle mass transfer was the rate limiting process. The optimum sample paramaters (2mg sample of <45pm g r a m size, pretreated at I20°C with a vapour 3 - 1 flow of >200cm m m ) yielded integral diffusion coefficients at 18°C of I.1x10 ^m^s * for t-butanol for the Cr^+-form, and 2.0x10 ^m^s * for methanol and i-propanol for the Al^+-form, 0.5x10 ^m^s ' for 1,4-dioxan for the Cr^+-clay, and 3.5x10 ^m^s * for THF and 2.4x10 ^m s for THP both on A1 -clay. In general the sorption rate decreased as THF ^ THP > methanol > i-propanol > t-butanol > 1,4-dioxan. For the alcohols sorption rate no temperature dependence was found, but the rate was found to be dependent on the cations present with Fe^+ < Cr^+ < Al3+. In general the cyclic ether sorption rate of THF and THP was dependent on concentration or the 1,4-dioxan sorption rate was retarded by bidentate coordination to Al^+-ions at the edges of the clay platlets. The second part of the investigation involved the examination of the interactions of the alcohols and cyclic ethers with various cation exchanged montmorillonite. Variable temperature (20°, 50°, 100°, 150°, and 200°C) infra-red and temperature programmed desorption profiles (20°-800°C) were recorded for Na+ , Ca^+ , Al^+ , Fe^+ , and Cr^+-exchanged montmorillonite, presaturated with methanol, propan-l-ol (n-propanol), l-piopanol , L-butanol , 'IIIL’, 111F, and 1,4-dioxan. The alcohol saturated ItivdlenL caL lou-exchanj'ed samples exhibit desorption maxima at 20° and I lUnC(meLhdiioJ ) , JU° and lhO°C (n- propanol), 20° and I I0°C (i-propanol), and JO1, , 50°, and 7U°C (t-bulanol) The alcohol saturated Na+ and Ca^+- monLinoril J o m l e exhibit desoipLion maxima at higher Lemperatures than in Lhe i-propanol (20° and I4U°C) and L-buLanol (30° 90° and I 10°C) desorption proljips, but al Lhe same temperature Cor methanol and n-piopanol lliis behaviour is interpreted in terms of acid-catalysed dehydration of i-propanol and L-buLanol to alkenes, and n-propanol to di-prop-l-yl ether over '-exchanged montmorillonite. The cyclic ether saturated mouLmoi1 1 IoniIe exhibit little uniformity in the positions of Lhe desorption maxima from Lhe different cation exchanged forms, (listed m Table 6 .1 1 1 .), but some Lrends are disernable and these results are interpreted as acid-catalysed ring opening of Lhe THP and 1111* Lo loim alkenes which would undergo oligomensaLion m Lhe ' -111011L1110 till 0111 Le s . l,4-l)ioxan was found to desorb without modification, indicating that in both 1 dynamic and an equlibnuin sense, 1,4-dioxan is relatively sLabJe Lowaids acid attack 111 these systems.