Role of homogeneous nucleation in the formation of primary zeolite particles

Abstract

Different mechanisms of nucleation in the liquid phase, such as homogeneous, heterogeneous, secondary and autocatalytic nucleation, were assumed in the literature as the dominant processes of the formation of primary zeolite particles. Since just homogeneous nucleation was very frequently pointed out as possible process of the formation of primary zeolite particles, the possibility of the occurrence of homogeneous nucleation during zeolite crystallization from aluminosilicate gels was analyzed in accordance with the classical theory of homogeneous nucleation. Analysis of three different crystallizing systems show that the rate of homogeneous nucleation is extremely low under the given synthesis conditions, so the other nucleation processes must be considered relevant for the formation of primary zeolite particles.