Synthesis of high capacity cation exchangers from a low-grade Chinese natural zeolite

The Chinese natural zeolite, in which clinoptilolite coexists with quartz was treated hydrothermally with NaOH solutions, either with or without fusion with NaOH powder as pretreatment. Zeolite Na-P, Na-Y and analcime were identified as the reacted products, depending on the reaction conditions such as NaOH concentration, reaction time and hydrothermal temperature. The products were identified by X-ray diffraction, and characterized by Fourier transform IR and ICP. With hydrothermal treatment after fusion of natural zeolite with NaOH, high purity of zeolite Na-Y and Na-P can be selectively formed, their cation exchange capacity (CEC) are 275 and 355 meq/100g respectively, which are greatly higher than that of the natural zeolite (97 meq/100g). Furthermore, the ammonium removal by the synthetic zeolite Na-P in aqueous solution was also studied. The equilibrium isotherms have been got and the influence of other cations present in water upon the ammonia uptake suggested an order of preference Ca(2+)>K(+)>Mg(2+).