Synthesis of magadiite using a natural diatomite material

✍ Scribed by Yu Wang; Yunshuai Shang; Jiang Zhu; Jian Wu; Shouhua Ji; Changgong Meng

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 129 KB
• Volume: 84
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.2262

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the synthesis of magadiite from a natural diatomite material. The influence of key reaction parameters, including reaction time, temperature and molar ratios of Na~2~O/SiO~2~ and H~2~O/Na~2~O, on the formation of magadiite were investigated. The as‐synthesized magadiite was characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis.

RESULTS: The well crystallized magadiite with a rosette like morphology was prepared from a dispersion with the molar ratio H~2~O/Na~2~O = 28.15 and Na~2~O/SiO~2~ = 0.15 by heating at 160 °C for 42 h. The basal space of the synthesized magadiite is 15.5 Å and the stretching and bending frequencies of the SiO~4~ units making up the magadiite layer were recorded. The layered structure was destroyed when the temperature rose above 250 °C, and combining the results of thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis suggested the structural alteration may be due to the condensation of silanol groups.

CONCLUSION: Diatomite has been used to synthesize magadiite with a high purity and well crystallized. The cost of synthesis has been reduced allowing its use in conventional industrial applications, thus expanding the commercial utilization of diatomite. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry