Production of Zeolite Sorbents from Burning and Co-burning Biomass with Coal

¹ Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Materials Engineering, 37 Jana Pawła II Av., 31-864 Cracow, Poland
² Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Institute of Engineering and Water Management, Warszawska 24, 31-151 Cracow, Poland
³ AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry, 30 Mickiewicza Av., 30-059 Cracow, Poland
⁴ Ekologia Przedsiębiorczość Innowacje, 17 Kuhna Av., 42-256 Olsztyn

^* Corresponding author: dariusz.mierzwinski@mech.pk.edu.pl

Abstract

The limited resources of natural zeolites make it necessary to search for and use synthetic products. This paper presents a method of producing zeolite sorbents resulting from hydrothermal synthesis in an autoclave. The raw materials used in the syntheses were fluidized-bed fly ashes derived from the burning of forest biomass and sunflower hulls and two fly ashes derived from biomass combustion. The raw materials and zeolite sorbents were characterised using the analysis methods of phase composition and textural properties of the samples. The sorptive capacity of the raw materials and zeolite sorbents was determined by means of cation and anion exchange capacity. The analyses and research have shown that as a result of the synthesis process it is possible to obtain the following zeolite phases: sodalite, faujasite, chabazite. The determined value of the cation and anion exchange capacity for synthetic zeolite sorbents are greater than those which characterise natural zeolites.