(317c) Pilot Scale Microwave-Assisted Conversion of Coal-Fly Ash to Zeolites

We have investigated the effects of microwave irradiation on the synthesis of zeolite Na-A from pure sodium aluminate and sodium silicate gel and from coal-fly ash at atmospheric pressure. The zeloitization has taken place in a laboratory, in a bench top continuous and a pilot scale microwave reactor set-ups.  Microwave irradiation has shown to accelerated zeolitization from several hours to several minutes. The microwave irradiation employed was produced in a single mode microwave, which enabled control of irradiated power and temperature of the reaction mixture, while the pressure was. Several sets of experiments were conducted at different levels of temperature and time, and different levels of power and time. It was observed that the crystallinity of the product was influenced by both power and time of microwave irradiation.  Moreover, power and time of microwave irradiation influenced the phase selection between Na-A and Na-X.