Factors that control zeolite L crystal size

Time-series hydrothermal syntheses from two organic-cation-free gels with different compositions were employed to study the factors that control the final size of zeolite L crystals. The first gel had a starting K/Al ratio of 10, whereas in the second one it was three times lower. The relatively simple chemical composition of the starting gels and the combination of complementary characterization methods allowed us to track down the different stages of transformation of the initial amorphous gels into zeolite crystals and the factors that control the nucleation and growth processes. The role of the starting mixture components in the formation of the primary amorphous particles was explored. It was found that the profoundly different reaction kinetics in the two systems are caused by the difference in diffusion rates, which in turn are controlled by the extent of the polymerization reactions at room temperature during mixing of the starting components prior to hydrothermal treatment. As a consequence, nucleation is fast and ubiquitous in the first system with higher water content and K/Al ratio, whereas it is slow and sporadic in the second system with lower water content and K/Al ratio. Ultimately, these differences in the kinetics lead to the formation of two distinctly different patterns of crystal-size distribution, with a large number of small nanocrystals in the first sample and fewer large crystals in the second sample. The new findings put zeolite crystal growth on a rational basis that would enable the control of zeolite crystal size in similar organic-template-free systems.