Abstract
This study deals with the impact of calcination, alkalinity, and curing time parameters on the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite A. The zeolite A sample, produced from corncob-stalk-and-leaves (corn stover) ash was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that calcination, alkalinity, and curing time have significant effects on the crystallization and the morphology of zeolite A. In addition, these parameters also impacted the cation exchange capacity. Furthermore, the synthesized zeolite A was obtained using a calcination temperature of 500 °C within two hours of airflow, which is much lower than the temperatures previously reported in the literature for an agricultural waste and other waste materials. A fusion ratio of corn stover ash:NaOH of 1.0:1.5 and a curing time of nine hours were achieved. This is a major result as this curing time is much lower than those featured in other studies, which can reach up to twenty-four hours. In this paper, cubic crystal with rounded edge of zeolite A, having a cation exchange capacity of 2.439 meq Na+/g of synthesized anhydrous zeolite A, was obtained, which can be a good candidate for ion-exchange separation.
Highlights
The Philippines is recognized for its agricultural contributions
The patterns were classified based on the characteristics of X-ray diffraction peaks with the d-values obtained with profile diffraction file (PDF) data
The results further showed that synthesized zeolite A was obtained using a calcination temperature of 5000 ◦ C within two hours of airflow, which is much lower than the temperatures ranging from 550 ◦ C–8000 ◦ C reported in other studies of agricultural waste [17,21] and other materials [29,31,35,36,37,38,41]
Summary
The Philippines is recognized for its agricultural contributions. In spite of the aim to create a highly urbanized and industrialized country out of the archipelago, a major part of the Philippine economy still relies on agriculture as the people’s primary livelihood. People in the rural areas of the country still support themselves through agriculture—farming, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. Statistics show that these four sub-sectors of agriculture together represent 38.9 percent of labor employment, thereby contributing twenty percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) [1,2]. Reports state that corn is one major staple substitute in cases of rice scarcity, and is a primary source of animal industry feed in the country. Corn is gaining popularity in terms of usage in manufacturing [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
