Influences of acid and heat treatments on the structure and water vapor adsorption property of natural zeolite

Abstract

Natural zeolite was first acid treated and then heat treated. The influences of acid and heat treatments on the structure and water vapor adsorption property of natural zeolite were investigated. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface areas were employed to investigate the structure changes of the zeolite samples. Water vapor adsorption property of the samples was investigated in order to determine wettability of the samples. The results showed that nitric acid treatment could remove Al from the structure, decrease relative crystallinity, and significantly increase specific surface area of the zeolite samples. Heat treatment could change or even destroy the structure, effectively remove water molecules from the surface/structure, and decrease the specific surface area of the zeolite samples. Water vapor adsorptions on the acid‐treated zeolite samples were significantly lower than that for the zeolite sample, and the adsorptions further reduced for the heat‐treated zeolite samples. The increase of Si/Al ratio, decreases of silanol groups, and specific surface area of the samples were major reasons related to the reductions of water vapor adsorptions on the zeolite samples.