Synthesis of Linde Type A zeolite from Darazo kaolin found in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The hydrothermal method of zeolite synthesis was used to obtain the Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites from kaolin found in Darazo. Characterization confirms the presence of alumina and silica which are the precursor materials for zeolite synthesis. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicate the presence of characteristic zeolite peaks while the scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows clearly defined cubic zeolite-A crystals. In addition, a water adsorption test on the synthesized LTA zeolites showed good water adsorption capacities of 27.96 and 28.01% for samples calcined at 700 and 900°C respectively. Such results enable these materials to be good candidates for water adsorption applications. These experiments show that LTA zeolites can successfully be synthesized from kaolin found in the Darazo area using the hydrothermal process of zeolite synthesis with similar results obtained for both LTA zeolites produced from Darazo kaolin calcined at 700 and 900°C. A comparison of the different calcination temperatures for the LTA zeolites shows that the materials calcined at 900°C give better adsorption properties.