Conversion of Natural Clay to Metakaolin and Zeolite Catalyst Using Hydrothermal Method

Metakaolin is a reactive intermediate product of natural clay(kaolin) and zeolite catalysts. Metakaolin and zeolite are a very important chemical compound that finds wide applications in many chemical and petrochemical industries. This research aimed at converting natural clay (kaolin) to metakaolin and zeolite catalysts using the hydrothermal method. The natural clay was sourced from Alkareri in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The raw kaolin was first characterized (XRF, XRD) after gotten from the source. 200g of kaolin was beneficiated to reduce the particle size and remove impurities. Thereafter the beneficiated kaolin was calcinated at 850oC for 2 hours to form metakaolin. The metakaolin formed was also subjected to physiochemical analysis (XRD, XRF). Results of the XRD analysis shows that the crystalline peak at 2θ is obtained at 13.1°, 20.4°, 25 and 30.90°. 20g of metakaolin was then mixed with 15g of sodium silicate and 7.5g of NaOH to form a gel. The gel was left to age for 7 days, the crystals was washed with deionized water, and dried to get the final zeolite. The synthesized zeolite was characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, to elucidate its crystalline structure and morphology. The XRD results showed that the active peak achieves tailored zeolite-Y structures with enhanced catalytic properties at 2θ equals 6.09°, 12.35°, 20.04°and 30.90 BET results a show surface area of 650. 162m2/g, pore volume 0.320cc/g and pore diameter 2.105. The SEM result shows clearly the morphology of a zeolite particle typical of zeolite -Y or X. The findings contribute to the development of efficient catalysts for crucial hydrocarbon transformation processes.