Preparation of Zeolite Y-Vegetal Fiber Composite Materials

Zeolite Y crystallization on chemi thermo mechanical pulp (CTMP) fluff, linen and cotton substrates using two different approaches for the deposition was studied. In the first approach a seed-film method was applied. This method involves surface charge modification of the substrates, adsorption of a monolayer of colloidal zeolite Y crystals onto the surfaces and subsequent growth of these colloidal zeolite crystals into a continuous zeolite film. Application of this method resulted in continuous films of zeolite Y on all substrates investigated. The second approach involved direct synthesis on substrates subjected to chemical or mechanical pretreatment in order to modify their surface properties. Chemical treatment was found to improve the crystallization on cotton and linen fibers but not so for the CTMP. Mechanical pretreatment enhanced the zeolite crystallization on the linen fibers but not on the other substrates. The zeolite Y-vegetal fiber composites were characterized by SEM, XRD, and thermal analysis.