Synthesis of Zeolite A from Coal Fly Ash by Alkali Fusion and Hydrothermal

Abstract

Zeolite A has been synthesized by a modified alkali fusion followed hydrothermal process. Hydrothermal was performed at a temperature of 90 °C for 4 h in a stainless steel reactor. Characterization of the synthesized zeolite was conducted using various techniques, i.e. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and measurement of cation exchange capacity (CEC). The characterization results showed that zeolite A was selectively obtained by this method. The diffract gram, SEM image, and IR spectra of the synthesized zeolite A showed a similarity with the commercially available zeolit A.