Author(s)

Saeed Golbad, Parisa Khoshnoud, Nidal Abu-Zahra

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Calcium exchanged A type zeolite is extensively used as an adsorbent in petroleum and gas purification application. The precursor of calcium and silver-exchanged zeolite was prepared in a hydrothermal process, followed by an exchange process. In this study, LTA zeolite was synthesized. Calcium-ex- changed and silver-exchanged molecular sieves were prepared and characterized by a series of techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. Physical properties of Ca- and Ag-exchanged zeolite A, such as surface structure, crystal structure, cation exchange capacity, and the ion-exchange properties were measured. Water adsorption studies using thermogravimetric method indicated that water molecules are more strongly bound in the Ca-A zeolite compared to Ag-A zeolite. XPS studies confirmed the presence of highly dispersed cationic silver species at exchange sites. The results of this study indicated that sodium was successfully exchanged with the calcium and silver in both Ca- and Ag-ex- changed zeolite frameworks. High cation exchange capacity, tailored aperture size, high porosity and specific surface area, as well as high thermal stability make cation-exchanged A type zeolite a successful candidate for adsorption, ion exchange, and catalysis applications.

Synthesis of 4A Zeolite and Characterization of Calcium- and Silver-Exchanged Forms

Golbad, S. , Khoshnoud, P. and Abu-Zahra, N. (2017) Synthesis of 4A Zeolite and Characterization of Calcium- and Silver-Exchanged Forms. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, 5, 237-251. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2017.55020.