Bo Zhu, Linda Zou, Huanting Wang, Mikel Duke, Anita J. Hill, Xiurong Hu, Y.S. Lin, Cara M. Doherty, Zhu, Bo, Zou, Linda, Doherty, Cara M, Hill, Anita, Lin, YS, Hu, Xiurong, Wang, Huanting, and Duke, Mikel
In this work we study the structural response of silicalite based MFI type zeolite powder to the presence of water and cations commonly found in sea salts including Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. MFI zeolite powder was exposed to different solutions (3.8 wt% TDS (total dissolved solids) seawater (SW), or 1 M NaCl, or 0.05 M KCl), and their effects on the structure of the zeolite powder were characterized. The results obtained from ion adsorption testing and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction showed that the zeolite powder interacted with water, monovalent and divalent cations, and these interactions altered the crystal dimensions of the zeolite. Most exposures to ions and water led to increases in crystal volumes of