2006 Volume 45 Issue 3 Pages 159-167
Characterization of zeolite Y synthesized in the presence of poly (vinyl alcohol)(PVA) was carried out by using X-ray diffraction technique, SEM, thermal analysis of TG-DTA, and MASS spectroscopy. Homogeneously fine size and round shape crystals were successfully synthesized in a single phase. Existence of polymer led to shorten the induction period of time and an important suggestion was obtained, that is, the solution viscosity caused by polymer gives an advantage to the nucleation of zeolite. It was presumed that the polymer led to a supersaturation of aluminate and silicate ions in the microdomains of polymer aggregates in solution. The results obtained from the thermal analysis and the mass spectroscopy of the fragment ions decomposed from PVA showed that the dehydration reaction of PVA deposited on the surface of zeolite crystal was greatly increased up to about 100°C as compared to the decomposition temperature of PVA homopolymer. A consideration was made that a strong interaction arises due to either the hydrogen bonding between the side chain of hydroxyl groups of the polymer and surface of zeolite or the intermolecular bonding via Na+ion, resulting in the formation of a complex materials of PVA-zeolite.
