Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolites from Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Power Plant Fly Ash

Abstract: Zeolites were synthesized from fly ash by hydrothermal treatment with NaOH solutions. Zeolite Boggsite [Ca8 Na3 (Si + Al)96 0192 70H2O] was produced under the optimum condition of 80-85°C, 6 to 10 hours, using low alkaline concentration and solid-liquid ratio of 0.3:1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the type of zeolite formed and the chemical composition of fly ash and zeolites were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The mineralogical and micro structural characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Zeolite type and degree of crystallization were found to be dependent on the reaction conditions and mineralogy of the raw material, particularly in terms of the relative composition of Si02 and AI2O3 in the fly ash.