A Selective Zeolitization of Perlite via Modified Fusion Technique
Apinpus Rujiwatra* and Chadchai Narawisut* Author for corresponding; e-mail address: apinpus@chiangmai.ac.th
Volume: Vol.31 No.1 (JANUARY 2004)
Research Article
DOI:
Received: 21 August 2003, Revised: -, Accepted: 20 October 2003, Published: -
Citation: Rujiwatra A. and Narawisut C., A Selective Zeolitization of Perlite via Modified Fusion Technique, Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 2004; 31(1): 27-33.
Abstract
The preparation of commercially valuable zeolitic material of faujasite type (FAU) from the reaction of perlite and sodium hydroxide employing modified fusion technique is reported. The starting material was fused with sodium hydroxide at 550 °C for 60 minutes prior to the reaction in aqueous media under autogeneous pressure at low temperature of 70 °C. This always led to the formation of faujasite type zeolite as the only crystalline product under the conditions investigated; perlite:NaOH (by weight) 1:1 - 1:1.2, solid:liquid (by weight) 1:5 - 1:7 and reaction time 7 - 21 days. The amount of exchangeable Na+ ion occluded in the zeolitized perlite suggest the material to be potential as a cation exchanger.