Synthesis of Zeolite X from Locally Sourced Kaolin Clay from Kono-Boue and Chokocho, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This work describes the development of a process to produce zeolite X from mined kaolin clay from Kono-Boue and Chokocho, Rivers State, Nigeria. The procedures involved the beneficiation of the raw kaolin and calcinations at 850°C, to transform the kaolin to a more reactive metakaolin. Afterwards, the extremely reactive metakaolin was purge with sulphuric acid to obtain the much needed silica-alumina ratio for zeolite X synthesis. An alkaline fusion stage was then carried out to transform the metakaolin into zeolite by mixing with aqueous NaOH to form gel then allowed to stay for a duration of seven days at room temperature. The samples were then charged into a propylene container and placed in an oven at a temperature of 100°C for the reaction to take place for 6 h. Identification of the crystalline phases by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), chemical/elemental compositions by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic analyses (EDS), surface morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and molecular vibration of units by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometry (FT-IR) were done. The results showed that the zeolite synthesized from Chokocho kaolin (CK) was more crystalline/larger with sharper peaks on both XRD and FTIR than that from Kono-Boue. This was also supported by slightly rougher surface morphology of CK over KK on SEM. XRF Si:Al ratios of 10.73 and 14.36 were obtained for KK and CK respectively. EDS results supported the XRF ratios. Sharper zeolitic characteristic O-H stretching bands at 3488 and 3755 cm-1 were recorded for CK than KK. However, both results showed that zeolite X have been produced from both Kono-Boue and Chokocho kaolin clays respectively.