Insulating behavior of metakaolin-based geopolymer materials assess with heat flux meter and laser flash techniques

Thermo physical behavior of metakaolin-based geopolymer materials was investigated. Five compositions of geopolymers were prepared with Si/Al from 1.23 to 2.42 using mix of sodium and potassium hydroxide (~7.5?M) as well as sodium silicate as activator. The products obtained were characterized after complete curing to constant weight at room temperature. The thermal diffusivity (2.5?C4.5?×?10^?7m²/s) and thermal conductivity (0.30?C0.59?W/m?K) were compared to that of existing insulating structural materials. The correlation between the thermal conductivity and parameters as porosity, pore size distribution, matrix strengthening, and microstructure was complex to define. However, the structure of the geopolymer matrix, typical porous amorphous network force conduction heat flux to travel through very tortuous routes consisting of a multiple of neighboring polysialate particles.     

Nonionic emulsion-mediated synthesis and characterization of Zeolite Y

Zeolite Y was first synthesized in a nonionic emulsion system containing polyoxyethylated alkyl phenol surfactant and then characterized using XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TG-DSC, N₂ adsorption and carbon content analysis techniques. Compared to the conventional zeolite Y, the reported Y sample presents extraordinarily agglomerated and coalesced structure with huge BET surface area of 646.85 m²/g. The huge surface area is explained by the removal of emulsion components occluded in the pore structure of the Y sample through calcination. Parameters such as emulsion components, emulsion composition, cosurfactant identity and reaction conditions were investigated. It is found the emulsion induces rapid growth, as crystallization of zeolite Y is completed after 4 h, compared to 16 h for the sample that does not contain the emulsion components. Emulsion composition and cosurfactant identity greatly influence the morphologies and crystallinity of the Y samples. Control experiments indicate all the components of the emulsion system are necessary for the rapid growth of zeolite Y. Finally, zeolite growth mechanism in the nonionic emulsion system is tentatively proposed.     

Zeolite Y from kaolin clay of Kachchh,India: Synthesis,characterization and catalytic application

Kaolin clay obtained from Kachchh, Gujarat was used as alumina and silica source to synthesize zeolite Y by hydrothermal method. The synthesis route comprised of the following steps: sulfuric acid treatment at 110 ​°C (4 ​h) for impurity removal followed by calcination at 600 ​°C for 4 ​h, thermal activation of kaolin into metakaolin by NaOH fusion at 850 ​°C (8 ​h); aging of reaction mixtures at 50 ​°C (24 ​h); crystallization (24 ​h) followed by washing and drying. The synthesized zeolite Y was examined by multiple characterization techniques which revealed a pore volume of 0.22 ​cm³/g with pore size of 2.89 ​nm having essential surface area of 320 ​m²/g, indicating a porous material having majority of micropores and remaining mesopores. The zeolite exhibited good catalytic activity for succinic acid esterification using ethanol to produce monoethyl and diethyl succinate. The conversion of SA (72%) and yield (60%) of valuable diester indicated good conversion rate and selectivity at moderate reaction conditions. Detailed structural comparison with zeolite Y synthesized using standard chemical route is also carried out. This work demonstrated an effective way of preparing environmentally benign porous zeolite Y having high surface area and pore volume that can be useful for catalytic applications.     

Studies on the formation of hierarchical zeolite T aggregates with well-defined morphology in different template systems

In this paper, the disk-like and pumpkin-like hierarchical zeolite T aggregates consisted of primary nano-grains have been hydrothermally synthesized with and without the aid of the second template. The first template is used with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) and the second template is used with triethanolamine (TEA) or polyving akohol (PVA). A combination of characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, TEM and N₂ adsorption–desorption to examine the crystal crystallinity, morphology and surface properties of hierarchical zeolite T aggregates. In the single-template preparation process, the two-step varying-temperature treatment has been used to improve the meso-porosity of zeolite T aggregates. In the double-template preparation process, the amounts of PVA or TEA on the crystallinity, morphology and meso-porosity of zeolite T aggregates have been studied. It has been proved that the interstitial voids between the primary grains of aggregates are the origin of additional mesopores of samples. The micro- and meso-porosities of samples prepared with and without the second template have been contrasted in detail at last. In particular, the sample synthesized with the addition of PVA presents a hierarchical pore structure with the highest S_ext value of 122 m²/g and V_meso value of 0.255 cm³/g.     

Effect of zeolite pore morphology on solvent-less alkylation of benzene with 1-hexene

In an attempt to convert the carcinogenic benzene which is almost restricted for its use in gasoline, alkylation reaction with olefin 1-hexene has been conducted on various zeolites. Four zeolites having different pore topology and pore size have been applied as solid acid catalysts for effective production of alkylate in a liquid phase, solvent-less low temperature reaction. The textural properties of all the four zeolites (ZSM-5, MOR, BEA, HY) have been characterized for crystal morphology by TEM, crystal structure by XRD and FTIR, BET for surface area, N₂ sorption for porosity and TPD for acidity. Among the zeolite, BEA possessed high surface area (600.61 m²/g) and enhanced meso pores volume (0.3956 cm³/g) as compared to other zeolite samples. The performance of BEA was also observed to be superior in the liquid phase alkylation of benzene with 1-hexene in a batch reactor under autogenous pressure without using any solvent. At the optimum reaction conditions, the benzene conversion was 86.6 wt% and 3-Phenylhexane, 2-Phenylhexane yield were about 47.9 wt% and 38.7 wt% respectively on this catalyst. The BEA also exhibited longer time-on-stream and reusability performance, thus offers an attractive route for converting benzene into valuable (3-Phenylhexane, 2-Phenylhexane) alkylate product useful for the manufacturing of fine chemicals, dyestuff, detergents and scents.     

An Extra‐Large‐Pore Zeolite with 24×8×8‐Ring Channels Using a Structure‐Directing Agent Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Extra‐large‐pore zeolites have attracted much interest because of their important applications for processing larger molecules. Although great progress has been made in academic science and industry, it is challenging to synthesize these materials. A new extra‐large‐pore zeolite SYSU‐3 (Sun Yat‐sen University no. 3) has been synthesized by using a novel sophoridine derivative as an organic structure‐directing agent (OSDA). The framework structure was solved and refined using continuous rotation electron diffraction (cRED) data from nanosized crystals. SYSU‐3 exhibits a new zeolite framework topology, which has the first 24×8×8‐ring extra‐large‐pore system and a framework density (FD) as low as 11.4 T/1000 ų. The unique skeleton of the OSDA plays an essential role in the formation of the distinctive zeolite structure. This work provides a new perspective for developing new zeolitic materials by using alkaloids as cost‐effective OSDAs.     

Thermal Catalytic-Cracking Low-Density Polyethylene Waste by Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer NaA Microsphere

Metakaolin-based geopolymer microspheres (MGM) with hierarchical pore structures were prepared by suspension dispersion method in dimethicone at 80 °C. The hydrothermal modification of MGM was carried out at a lower temperature of 80 °C, and a NaA molecular sieve converted from metakaolin-based geopolymer (NMGM) with good crystal structure was prepared and applied in thermal catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reaction. The one-pot two-stage thermal catalytic cracking of LDPE was carried out in a 100 mL micro-autoclave under normal pressure. In this work, the optimal proportions and optimal reaction conditions of catalysts for NMGM thermal catalytic cracking of LDPE waste to fuel oil were investigated. The NMGM catalyst showed high selectivity to the liquid product of thermal catalytic cracking of waste LDPE. Under the reaction conditions of reaction time of 1 h and reaction temperature of 400 °C, the liquid-phase yield of thermal catalytic cracking of LDPE reached a high of 88.45%, of which the content of gasoline components was 10.14% and the content of diesel components was 80.97%.     

Laterite clay-based geopolymer as a potential adsorbent for the heavy metals removal from aqueous solutions

This study is focused on the investigation of low iron lateritic clay-based geopolymer as a potential adsorbent for the higher uptake of Ni(II) and Co(II) ions from aqueous solutions. BET analysis revealed that the sieved geopolymer sample (SGS) was characterized by 17.441 m²/g of surface area, 0.005 cm³/g of pore volume, and 13.549 Å of pore diameter. SEM investigation confirmed the presence of pores and cavities onto the surface of SGS. XRD analysis showed that the geopolymer is semi-crystalline in nature. It was found that the adsorption ability of SGS remained 520 mg/g for Ni(II) ions and 500 mg/g for Co(II) ions when 0.5 M solutions were stirred with SGS for 60 min. The temperature and pH of the solution were maintained at 60 °C and 7.0, respectively. The adsorption data of both heavy metal (HM) ions fitted best in the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The low activation energy value i.e. 2.507 kJ/mol for Ni(II) ions and 2.286 kJ/mol for Co(II) ions confirmed adsorption is physisorption. Adsorption data were tested with Langmuir and Freundlich models, the data showed comparatively better fitting in the Freundlich model. The greater value of monolayer adsorption capacity (Xm) for Ni(II) ions was found 1.77 × 10⁻² mol/g while for Co(II) ions it remained 1.69 × 10⁻² mol/g confirming the better interaction of metal ions with the adsorbent surface. Negative values of ΔG° confirmed the spontaneity of the process while the positive value of ΔS° showed the randomness of adsorbate particles. The positive value of ΔH° showed that the adsorption process remained endothermic for both HM ions. The experimental results confirmed the ability of laterite clay-based geopolymer for better removal of HM ions and hence can be employed for the wastewater treatment processes at low-cost adsorbent.     

New less toxic zeolite‐encapsulated Cu(II) complex nanomaterial for dual applications in biomedical field and wastewater remediation

A new dual‐functional Cu(II) complex and its nanohybrid form encapsulated into NaY zeolite cavities were synthesized. The synthesized compounds were characterized using elemental analyses, X‐ray fluorescence, infrared, ¹H NMR, electronic, electron spin resonance and mass spectra, powder X‐ray diffraction, surface area and transmission electron microscopy in addition to conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The encapsulated Cu(II) complex was catalytically tested for degradation of industrial wastewater. The decolorization and mineralization results indicate that the Cu(II) complex encapsulated into zeolite host is an effective heterogeneous catalyst for real industrial wastewater remediation. In addition, both free and encapsulated Cu(II) complexes were tested as anti‐microbial and anti‐tumour agents. The results show that the Cu(II) complex encapsulated into zeolite has a high activity (IC₅₀ = 14.4 μg ml^?1). The results of in vivo toxicity experiments indicate that the Cu(II) complex encapsulated into zeolite is a less toxic biocompatible material (LD₅₀ = 1245 mg kg^?1). The catalytic properties, cytotoxicity and toxicity of the new nanohybrid Cu(II) complex encapsulated into zeolite make it a promising eco‐friendly and biocompatible material for water remediation and biomedical applications.     

Photocatalytic performance of yttrium-doped CNT-ZnO nanoflowers synthesized from hydrothermal method

We synthesized yttrium-doped CNT-ZnO (CNT-YZO) nanoparticles (NPs) and nanoflowers (NFs) from the hydrothermal method at 130 °C. The effect of Y³⁺-concentrations in nanostructured CNT-YZO was determined in terms of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). Microstructural analysis showed the hexagonal cubic structure of ZnO regardless of Y-concentration or the addition of CNTs during the nucleation and growth. The specific surface area, total pore volume, and mean pore diameter of typical CNT-YZO NFs were observed to be 36.109 m²/g, 0.162 cm³/g, and 17.932 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation performance of CNT-YZO NFs improved due to increase reactive sites of the catalyst and reduced recombination of photo-induced carriers. The surface-area normalized first-order decomposition rates (r/m²) of CNT-YZO NFs showed the highest photocatalytic degradation (99%). The CNT-YZO has produced a new kind of material for the photocatalytic degradation under the irradiation of visible light using a solar simulator.     

载银sod基纳米分子筛的合成及抗菌性能

采用两步法合成了sod基系列分子筛(EMT、FAU、SOD),并通过离子交换法引入Ag⁺得到载银分子筛,通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)证明离子交换前后分子筛骨架结构和晶粒尺寸没有发生明显变化;通过红外光谱(IR)、热重(TG)证明制得的载银分子筛具有良好的稳定性;对获得的载银分子筛进行了Ag⁺释放实验与抗菌能力测试,考察了分子筛种类和晶粒尺寸对抗菌性能的影响。结果表明具有笼状结构的FAU与EMT分子筛因可储存更多的Ag⁺而具有更好的抗菌性能,而具有超笼结构的FAU分子筛抗菌性能最优。通过对比不同晶粒尺寸载银FAU分子筛抗菌数据发现,晶粒尺寸为100 nm的载银FAU分子筛因外表面丰富的抗菌活性位点以及其内部可以储存并不断释放Ag⁺而具有最优的抗菌性能和抗菌寿命。而晶粒尺寸为10 nm的载银FAU分子筛由于晶粒尺寸较小、外比表面积大、扩散路径短,Ag⁺的释放速率最快,抗菌效率最高。     

An Extra‐Large‐Pore Pure Silica Zeolite with 16×8×8‐Membered Ring Pore Channels Synthesized using an Aromatic Organic Directing Agent

Extra‐large‐pore zeolites for processing large molecules have long been sought after by both the academia and industry. However, the synthesis of these materials, particularly extra‐large‐pore pure silica zeolites, remains a big challenge. Herein we report the synthesis of a new extra‐large‐pore silica zeolite, designated NUD‐6, by using an easily synthesized aromatic organic cation as structure‐directing agent. NUD‐6 possesses an intersecting 16×8×8‐membered ring pore channel system constructed by four‐connected (Q⁴) and unusual three‐connected (Q³) silicon species. The organic cations in NUD‐6 can be removed in nitric acid to yield a porous material with high surface area and pore volume. The synthesis of NUD‐6 presents a feasible means to prepare extra‐large pore silica zeolites by using assembled aromatic organic cations as structure‐directing agents.     

Synthesis of highly ordered cubic zeolite A and its ion-exchange behavior

Well-ordered cubic zeolites 4A were synthesised using sol–gel process in the presence of different silica and aluminum sources. The aluminum and silica sources determined whether or not zeolites were formed at precise silica/alumina mole ratio. Zeolites were formed only when the aluminum source was sodium aluminate, the silica source was fumed silica, colloidal silica or sodium metasilicate. Our findings indicated that the type of zeolite invariably obtained was 4A and SEM images indicated that the produced zeolites are cubic shaped crystals with planar surfaces and well-defined edges and sharp crystals. In turn, synthesis parameters are seen to have a significant effect in maximizing heavy metals uptake (for example Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺) by synthesized zeolites. Zeolite 4A gave better heavy metal uptakes than amorphous or non-zeolite crystalline materials. This was attributed to higher ion-exchange capacity and higher BET specific surface area 445 m²/g and pore volume 0.141 cm³/g. The latter attribute possibly translates to greater accessibility of ion-exchange sites and selectivity towards metal type by this zeolite followed the sequence: Cu²⁺ > Cr³⁺ ≥ Cd²⁺ > Ni²⁺.     

多产低碳烯烃及柴油用分子筛的设计

目前,催化裂化的原料大多是蜡油和减压渣油的混合油,或全部的常压渣油 .其相对分子量范围很宽,组成十分复杂 .为了分别对待大小不同的分子和不同碳氢比化合物的裂化性能,现代催化裂化催化剂应具有梯度孔结构与梯度酸中心的优化结构配置 .而目前催化裂化的主导分子筛 USY二次孔含量还不能满足原料油日趋变重的需求,并且滞留在分子筛孔 /笼内的非骨架铝限制了其选择性的进一步提高,因此有必要对其结构进一步修饰 .　　本研究在 USY基础上合成新的催化裂化多产低碳烯烃和柴油用分子筛催化剂 .新型 USY基分子筛从晶体结构、孔容及孔…     

Synthesis of HZSM-5 zeolites with excellent DME aromatization properties by orthogonal test

Abstract

The synthesis conditions of HZSM-5 zeolite, including crystallization temperature, crystallization time and raw material ratio, were investigated by L₃₂ (4⁸) orthogonal test to specifically optimize its performance in dimethyl ether (DME) aromatization for the first time. Based on the total yield of aromatic products, the synthesis conditions of HZSM-5 zeolite with the best DME aromatization properties were obtained by comprehensive analysis and validation experiments. The relationship between the aromatization performance, crystalline structure, pore structure, and acidity of HZSM-5 zeolite were analyzed. The results showed that the HZSM-5 zeolite accompanied by hierarchical structure, an appropriate Brønsted and Lewis acid content and uniform crystal morphology, was successfully synthesized under optimized conditions. Over this unmodified and un-doped catalyst, the conversion of DME approached to 99.3% and the total yield of aromatics reached was 53.5%.     

Synthesis and structure of the bidimensional zeolite ITQ-32 with small and large pores

A new bidimensional zeolite containing 8R and 12R pores, denoted as ITQ-32, has been synthesized and its structure solved from powder X-ray diffraction data. This zeolite presents a relatively large pore volume (0.16 cm3/g) and pore apertures of 3.5 x 4.3 A and can be prepared as a nearly pure silica zeolite and as aluminosilicate. In the latest case, acidic properties are developed.     

Effective synthesis of nanoscale anatase TiO2 single crystals using activated carbon template to enhance the photodegradation of crystal violet

Nanoscale anatase TiO₂ single crystals were successfully synthesized using three kinds of activated carbon (AC) templates through a simple sol–gel method. The optimal photocatalyst (T‐WOAC) was obtained using wood‐based AC template. X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses revealed that T‐WOAC possessed a small crystallite size of 8.7 nm and a clear mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic properties of samples were then evaluated through photodegradation of crystal violet (CV). Results implied that the photocatalysts prepared using the AC templates exhibited superior photocatalytic activity to that of the original TiO₂. This enhancement may be due to the small crystallite size, large specific surface area and pore volume of the catalysts prepared with ACs. T‐WOAC showed high photocatalytic activity, CV degradation of 99.01% after 120 min of irradiation and k = 0.03914 min^?1, which is 3.9 times higher than that of the original TiO₂ (k = 0.00994 min^?1). This result can be mainly attributed to the application of WOAC with moderate specific surface area and pore volume to produce T‐WOAC. Alkaline conditions benefitted the photodegradation of CV over photocatalysts. This work proposes a possible degradation mechanism of CV and indicates that the fabricated photocatalysts can be used to effectively remove CV from aqueous solutions.     

A Stable Extra‐Large‐Pore Zeolite with Intersecting 14‐ and 10‐Membered‐Ring Channels

The development of inorganic frameworks with extra‐large pores (larger than 12‐membered rings) has attracted considerable attention because of their potential applications in catalysis, the separation of large molecules, and so forth. We herein report the synthesis of the new extra‐large‐pore zeolite NUD‐2 by using the supramolecular self‐assembly of simple aromatic organic cations as structure‐directing agents (SDAs). NUD‐2 is a high‐silicon‐content germanosilicate with interconnecting 14×10‐membered‐ring channels. The SDAs in NUD‐2 can be removed by calcination in air at 550 °C to yield permanent pores with a BET surface area of 500 m²g^?1. Both germanium and organic cations in NUD‐2 can also be removed by treatment with acid at lower temperature, thus not only affording recycling of germanium and SDAs, but also providing a highly stable siliceous zeolite. In addition, aluminum ions can be incorporated into the framework of NUD‐2. The NUD‐2 structure is yet another extra‐large‐pore zeolite synthesized by using the supramolecular self‐assembling templating approach, thus demonstrating that this approach is a general and applicable strategy for synthesis of new large‐ and extra‐large‐pore zeolites.     

Synthesis and application of a novel solid‐phase extraction adsorbent for multiresidue analysis of insecticides in water

A new solid‐phase adsorbent was synthesized for the simultaneous enrichment of multiple classes of trace insecticides (neonicotinoids, organophosphates, fiproles, and organochlorines) in water. The adsorbent was spherical with a diameter, surface area, average pore volume, and pore size of approximately 5 μm, 341 m²/g, 0.092 m³/g, and 2.22 nm, respectively. Extraction conditions were optimized, including water pH and the type and volume of the rinsing and eluting solvents. After extraction, target insecticides were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The recovery of neonicotinoids ranged from 63.0 to 124%, except for clothianidin (40.1–52.9%). Recoveries of organophosphates, fiproles, and organochlorines were in the ranges of 37.0–102, 64.0–101, and 42.0–69.3%, respectively. Relative standard deviations were <20% except for profenofos (5.1–30%) and method detection limits were 1.8–12.7 ng/L, suggesting that the precision and accuracy of the developed method were viable. At environmentally relevant concentrations, the new adsorbent achieved comparable recoveries of target insecticides to hydrophilic–lipophilic balance adsorbent while providing an additional advantage by further reducing matrix effects. Field water samples from the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China were analyzed, and the frequent detection of neonicotinoids raises concerns about their aquatic risk.     

Study of degradation kinetics of sunflower oil on H-Beta zeolite

In this study, were studied the degradation of pure sunflower oil and mixed with H-Beta zeolite. This zeolite was synthesized by the hydrothermal method, followed by calcination and ion exchanged. The characterization of the zeolite was performed by X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption/desorption by the method of BET. The analysis showed that H-Beta zeolite presented a good crystallinity and the template was completely removed from the catalyst. The thermal and catalytic degradation study was carried out using the TG/DTG method in multiple heating rates of 5, 10, and 20 °C min⁻¹. The isoconversion method proposed by Vyazovkin was applied to determine the kinetic parameters for degradation of the sunflower oil. The activation energy for the degradation process of pure sunflower oil was 193 kJ mol⁻¹, while for sunflower oil mixed with 20% of H-Beta zeolite was equivalent to 88 kJ mol⁻¹. It was verified that for the degradation of 90% of the sunflower oil mixed with H-Beta, for a period of 1 h, a temperature of 356 °C was required, whereas for the pure vegetable oil, this value was of 387 °C, at the same time period, showing that the catalyst was effective for the degradation process of sunflower oil.