CO2 adsorption properties of ion-exchanged zeolite Y prepared from natural clays

Ordered microporous Y zeolite was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal treatment using metakaolin and Ludox (40% SiO2) as an aluminum and silica source respectively. The metakaolin was obtained by thermal treatment of Algerian kaolin. The obtained Y zeolite was exchanged by different cations such as Cu2+, Ni2+, Ca2+, Na+ and used for the CO2 adsorption at 0 degrees C. The structural features of the materials were determined by various physico-chemical techniques such as x-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption at 77 K, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. The CO2 adsorption at 0 degrees C was carried using a volumetric method. The adsorption isotherms of CO2 exhibit nonlinear concave curves and showed a high adsorption capacity for CO2 from the M-Y zeolites. The equilibrium CO2 adsorption capacity increase in the following order of Cu2+ < Ni2+ < Ca2+ < Na+. The experimental isotherm data of the CO2 adsorption was best described by the Langmuir model giving a maximum adsorbed amount q(m) = 77.57 cm(3) . g(-1) STP for Na-Y zeolite.