Synthesis of Zeolite 13X from Coal Fly Ashes and Properties of the Zeolite Products

Synthesis of pure-form zeolite 13X was investigated using the alkali fusion-hydrothermal method to dissolve Si and Al sources from fly ash, and with the addition of Si source, to prepare initial gel. Experimental results demonstrated, the regular morphology and homogeneous composition are in good agreement with standard zeolite 13X by characterization of XRD, SEM and IR. The properties of adsorption and CEC values were evaluated by BET and UV-spectrophotometry, respectively. All properties are much better than commercial zeolite 13X. Our results further revealed that like coal fly ash after alkali fusion pretreatment can be used for zeolite synthesis. Thus, It demonstrates a promising feedstock for the green synthesis of zeolites directly without experiencing intermediate chemicals.