• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.103-114
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• 2024

Zeolites are microporous materials that find applications in different fields due to their numerous interesting properties. This research investigated the effect of leaching on unheated Ifon kaolin in dilute hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid. The hydrothermal method synthesized zeolite-X type, and the resulting sample was characterized using different techniques. The silica/alumina ratio in the synthesized sample was approximately 5.6, while Infrared spectra confirmed that the synthesized material was Zeolite-X. Based on the X-ray diffraction patterns, other phases were also formed in addition to zeolite-X crystals. Thermogravimetry results indicated that the synthesized zeolite was relatively stable below 500℃, so its weight loss was only 13% after heating to about 200℃. A differential thermal analyzer confirmed this amount of weight loss, and endothermic and exothermic reactions were also observed for the samples calcined respectively at 700 and 900℃. Based on Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses, samples at 700℃ showed slower adsorption-desorption isotherms, pore volume, and sizes than those at 900℃. These results have shown that leaching and calcination temperature significantly affect the type of zeolite produced.