Articles
  • Preparation of zeolite N from metakaolinite by hydrothermal method
  • Paiboon Sengyanga, Kunwadee Rangsriwatananonb and Aphiruk Chaisenaa,*
  • a Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Lampang Rajabhat University, Lampang 52100, Thailand b School of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Rachasima 30000, Thailand
Abstract
Zeolite N was successfully prepared from activated Narathiwat kaolinite. Kaolinite activation was performed by the thermal treatment at 700 oC for 5 h. The thermally activated, amorphous kaolinite (metakaolinite) was treated hydrothermally with KOH, KCl, and H2O at 80, 90, 110, 130, 150, and 175 oC during different reaction times ranging from 2 h to 24 h. The synthesis products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in order to elucidate their physicochemical and characteristics. The results show that zeolite N was obtained with high crystalline when the K2O/Al2O3, KCl/Al2O3, and H2O/Al2O3 molar ratios were 2.3, 3.5, and 48.0 by hydrothermal treatment at 175 oC for 24 h. The cation exchange capacity of zeolite N was 590 meq 100 g−1. Thus, the kaolinite can be used as a source of silica and alumina for the synthesis of zeolite N.

Keywords: zeolite N, Hydrothermal method, Metakaolinite, Alkaline treatment, Thermally activated kaolinite.

This Article

  • 2015; 16(1): 111-116

    Published on Feb 28, 2015

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