A novel approach for preparing ecological zeolite material from solar panel waste lass and sandblasting waste: microscopic characteristics and humidity control performance

Abstract

This paper outlines the fabrication of zeolite humidity control material via alkaline melting and hydrothermal synthesis based on solar panel waste glass (SPWG) and sandblasting waste (SW). We assessed the effects of Si/Al molar ratio, crystallization temperature, and crystallization time on microstructure and humidity control properties. Synthesis parameters were optimized using the Box-Behnken DOE strategy. In experiments, a crystallization temperature of 120 °C and crystallization time of 48 h with a Si/Al ratio of 2.0 resulted in a highly uniform zeolite material. The resulting synthetic zeolite possessed a surface area of 100.34 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.161 cm3/g, and an optimal crystal size of 12.66 nm. Under optimal application conditions, the proposed zeolite achieved water vapor adsorption capacity of 73.17 g/m2. This study provides a feasible alternative use for recycled solar panel waste glass and sandblasting waste, which has great potential for waste recycling in the future.