The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 16 No 3 (2012): 235 – 240

 

 

 

CHARACTERIZATION AND GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE DISSOLVED QUARTZ IN THE CONVERSION OF COAL FLY ASH

TO SODALITE

 

 (Pencirian dan Analisis Gravimetri Kuarza Terlarut dalam Pertukaran Abu Terbang Batu Arang ke Sodalit)

 

Mohd Hilmi Mohamed¹, Hendrik Oktendy Lintang², Zainab Ramli ¹*

 

¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,

²Ibnu Sina Institute for Fundamental Science Studies,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: zainab@kimia.fs.utm.my

 

 

Abstract

Coal fly ash (CFA) is a waste product produced from the electrical power plant and hazardous towards the environment. However, the high composition of silica and alumina in the CFA makes it useful as raw materials in the zeolite synthesis. However, the presence of silica in the form of quartz in the CFA does not facilitate the transformation of CFA to zeolite at 100^oC and autogeneous pressure. In this study, CFA was converted to zeolites in various NaOH concentrations by microwave heating at various heating time. All synthesized product were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), and gravimetric analysis. XRD has shown that quite pure sodalite in nanosize has been formed as early as 15 minutes and increase with time. Prolong heating up to 45 minutes has reduced the content of quartz to ca 20%. Gravimetric analysis performed on the liquor of the reaction showed that the dissolved silica decrease with increase of heating time indicating that most of the dissolved quartz is used up to form sodalite framework. Hence, quartz of CFA did help in enhancing the crystallinity of the formed sodalite after prolong heating.

 

Keywords: Coal fly ash, Sodalite , Dissolved quartz, Gravimetric analysis

 

References

1.     Ahmaruzzaman, M. (2010), A review on the utilization of fly ash. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. 36(37): 327-363.

2.     Querol, X., Moreno, N., Umana J.C., Alastuey, A., Hernandez, E., Lopez-Soler, A., Plana. F. (2002). Synthesis of zeolites from coal fly ash: an overview, International Journal of Coal Geology. 50(1-4): 413-423.

3.     Querol, X., Piana, F., Alastuey, A., Lopez-Soler, A. (1997). Synthesis of Na-zeolites from fly ash. Fuel, 76(8): 793-799.

4.     Querol, X., Alastuey, A.S., Lopez-Soler, A. and Plana, F. (1997). A Fast Method for Recycling Fly Ash: Microwave-Assisted Zeolite Synthesis. Environmental Science & Technology. 31: 2527-2533.

5.     Tanaka, H., Fujimoto, S., Fujii, A., Hino, R., Kawazoe, T. (2008). Microwave Assisted Two-Step Process for Rapid Synthesis of Na-A Zeolite from Coal Fly Ash. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 47: 226-230.

6.     Erdey, L., Polos, L. and Chalmers, R.A. (1970.) Development and Publication of New Gravimetric Method of Analysis. Talanta. 17: 1143-1155.

7.     Wakihara, T., Okubo, T. (2005) Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterization of Zeolites. Chemistry Letters, 34:276-281.

8.     Fan, Y., Zhang, F.S., Zhu, J., Liu, Z. (2008). Effective utilization of waste ash from  MSW and coal-combustion power plant-Zeolite synthesis. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 153: 382-388.

9.     Treacy, M.M.J. and Higgins J.B. (2001). Collection of Simulated XRD Powder patterns for Zeolite. 4^th edition. Elsevier: New York.