SYNTHESIS OF ZEOLITES FROM THERMALLY ACTIVATED KAOLINITE - SOME OBSERVATIONS ON NUCLEATION AND GROWTH

Depending on the preparation temperature and the origin of the raw mineral, the products obtained by thermal activation of kaolinite lead, by hydrothermal treatment with sodium hydroxide at 102-degrees-C, either to zeolite 4A, or to cubic zeolite P, or to a mixture of cubic and tetragonal zeolite P. The change in the type of zeolite obtained was explained on the basis of a radical change of the zeolite nucleation process due to either the presence of soluble potassium or high silica content resulting from dehydration of muscovite (an impurity in the raw-kaolinite), or from "segregation" associated with the first step of the metakaolinite to mullite transformation. These phenomena occur at a lower calcination temperature with poorly-crystallized kaolinite, and iron in such a sample promotes a sensitive decrease in the formation rate of zeolite crystals. Such results could be used to characterize the crystallinity of kaolinites.