• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 2021

This study aimed to fundamentally understand structural changes of zeolite under pressure and in the presence of different pressure-transmitting media (PTM) for application studies such as immobilization of heavy metal cation or CO₂ storage using pressure. High-pressure X-ray powder diffraction study was conducted on the zeolite-W (K_6.4Al_6.5Si_25.8O₆₄× 15.3H₂O, K-MER) to understand linear compressibility and the bulk moduli in different PTM conditions. Zeolite-w is a synthetic material having the same framework as natural zeolite merlinoite ((K, Ca_0.5, Ba_0.5, Na)₁₀ Al₁₀Si₂₂O₆₄× 22H₂O). The space group of the sample was identified as I4/mmm belonging to the tetragonal crystal system. Water, carbon dioxide, and silicone-oil were used as pressure-transmitting media. The mixture of sample and each PTM was mounted in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and then pressurized up to 3 GPa with an increment of ca. 0.5 GPa. Pressure-induced changes of powder diffraction patterns were measured using a synchrotron X-ray light source. Lattice constants, and bulk moduli were calculated using the Le-Bail method and the Birch-Murnaghan equation. In all PTM conditions, linear compressibility of c-axis (𝛽^c) was 0.006(1) GPa^-1 or 0.007(1) GPa^-1. On the other hand, the linear compressibility of a(b)-axis (𝛽^a) was 0.013(1) GPa^-1 in silicone-oil run, which is twice more compressible than the a(b)-axis in water and carbon dioxide runs, 𝛽^a = 0.006(1) GPa^-1. The bulk moduli were measured as 50(3) GPa, 52(3) GPa, and 29(2) GPa in water, carbon dioxide, and silicone-oil run, respectively. The orthorhombicities of ac-plane in the water, and carbon dioxide runs were comparatively constant, near 0.350~0.353, whereas the value decreased abruptly in the silicone-oil run following formula, y = -0.005(1)x + 0.351(1) by non-penetrating pressure fluid condition.