Silver-impregnated zeolitized tuffs for environmental degradation of ozone

The natural zeolites were ultrasonically treated and impregnated with silver nanoparticles. The surface stabilized silver nanoparticles dispersion was obtained using an effective electrochemical reduction method. The phase and elemental composition, structure of the Ag-impregnated zeolites (clinoptilolite and mordenite) was studied by various methods such as powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence analyses and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The Ag-impregnated clinoptilolite and mordenite natural zeolite materials with 1.20 wt %, 0.97 wt %, 0.83 wt % and 1.18 wt % silver content were established by XRF analysis. As initial materials were used three types clinoptilolite from Beli Plast, Most, Golobradovo (Kardzhali, Bulgaria) deposits and mordenite from Lyaskovets deposit in Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria. The catalytic ability of Ag-mordenite and Ag-clinoptilolites was investigated in the ecologically important reaction of ozone decomposition. The Ag-loaded mordenite demonstrates the higher conversion degree of ozone more than 40% in comparison with Ag-clinoptilolite materials at room temperature.