(544cy) Suitability of Developing Zeolite Y Catalyst from Ediko Nigeria Clay

SUITABILITY OF DEVELOPING
ZEOLITE Y CATALYST FROM EDIKO NIGERIA CLAY

Oboho E.,  Babalola R.  Bassey E. N.

Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering Department,

Akwa Ibom
State University, Mkpat Enin,
Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria

esioboho@aksu.edu,ng

rasheedbabalola@aksu.edu.ng

etimbassey@aksu.edu.ng

Abstract

In this study, emphasis was placed on the development
of Zeolite Y catalyst from Ediko kaolin clay.
Investigations were carried out on the compositional characteristics of the
clay with an account to ascertaining their industrial applications. The clay
sample was subjected to beneficiation using de-ionized water for a period of 5
days and metakaolinization at 750 °C for 5 hours. The
obtained metakaolin was reacted with 60% w/w purity H₂SO₄
to obtain dealuminated samples using novel method and thereafter
reacted with analytical grade sodium
hydroxide pellet for gelation process. The gelated samples
were aged at 34^oC for 7 days and
subsequently crystallized at 100^oC for 24 hours. X- Ray Fluorescene analytical
technique was applied as the approach to anatomize for chemical composition of Ediko kaolinite clay. The obtained results show the clay
sample to contain silica and alumina in the right proportion with 56.6 / 32.6 , 60.3 /32.0 and 67.1 / 15.0 for raw , calcined and dealuminated samples
respectively with minimal impurities. The synthesized zeolite Y therefore gives
SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio of 7.6. which
was suppoted with further analysis using XRD and SEM.
This corroborates the findings of Babalola, 2014 and
hence confirmed the suitability of developing Zeolite Ycatalyst
from Ediko clay.

Keyword
: Crystallization, metakaolinization, gelation,  XRF, XRD