Synthesis of zeolites and zeotypes

Abstract

This chapter discusses the synthesis of zeolites and zeotypes. The chapter presents an overview of some fundamental aspects of the zeolites and explores further information. An account of experimental practice and a summary of mathematical modeling procedures are presented in the chapter. The chapter presents various observations from crystallization studies to introduce the basic principles of the synthesis process. Successful syntheses of a wide variety of zeolite and zeotype materials have been developed over the past 50 years. The formation of these structures—particularly from recent detailed studies using advanced techniques of microscopy—are also discussed in the chapter. In many synthesis reactions, heating is carried out by direct thermal methods, most usually by placing the reaction vessel in a conventional oven. However, a very useful alternative procedure is microwave dielectric heating. In its simplest form, this entails the use of a suitable, microwave-transparent glass or plastic (e.g., Teflon) reaction vessel, which is placed in a laboratory microwave oven. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the advantages of zeolite synthesis.