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Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in...
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Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 July 2023) | Viewed by 7412

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Nevenka Rajić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Protection, The University Union—Nikola Tesla, 11158 Beograd, Serbia
Interests: synthesis; characterization, and application of natural and synthetic porous materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jelena Pavlović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Soil Science, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: zeolite-based adsorbents and catalysts; zeolites in sustainable chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zeolites are well-known aluminosilicate minerals with a unique crystal structure and physicochemical properties. The 3D crystal lattice of zeolites is thermally stable and allows the accommodation of various chemical species, such as ions, atoms, or nano-sized particles of various compounds, not only on the surface but also inside the cavities and channels of zeolite structure. When discovered, zeolite was just an unusual stone that relases vapor when heated, until scientific researches showed that zeolites are, in many ways, unique minerals that can be relatively easily transformed into materials with a wide range of uses.

Zeolites are now recognized as useful for various industrial processes such as adsorption, ion exchange, catalysis, or separation. Furthermore, they are abundant, cheap, and environmentally friendly, which is the key to their applicability.

The Special Issue of Minerals dedicated to zeolites provides an excellent opportunity to explore the latest scientific research focusing on zeolites. Scientific contributions and review studies from the following areas are welcome: zeolite formation and occurrence, zeolite structure research, zeolite surface functionalization, application in adsorption and catalysis, environmental protection, agriculture, and pharmacy.

Prof. Dr. Nevenka Rajić
Dr. Jelena Pavlović
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • zeolite occurrence
  • adsorption
  • catalysis
  • surface functionalization
  • environmental protection
  • zeolite structures
  • zeolite engineering
  • sustainable applications of zeolites

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4470 KiB  
Article
Impact of Long-Term Exposure to High Chlorine and to Low pH Solutions during Chlorine Regeneration of Ammonia-Loaded Zeolite
by Roberto Martin Narbaitz, Tianguang Zhang, Grace Oluwatomisin Akerele, Majid Sartaj and Jason Downey
Minerals 2023, 13(10), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13101247 - 23 Sep 2023
Viewed by 762
Abstract
An earlier study has shown that chlorine solutions were capable of effectively regenerating an ammonium-loaded zeolite column; however, the chlorine concentrations were high (1000 mg Cl2/L), and for two hours of the regeneration cycle, the pH was approximately 3. This led [...] Read more.
An earlier study has shown that chlorine solutions were capable of effectively regenerating an ammonium-loaded zeolite column; however, the chlorine concentrations were high (1000 mg Cl2/L), and for two hours of the regeneration cycle, the pH was approximately 3. This led to concerns regarding the long-term durability of the zeolite. The objective of this study is to investigate the durability of a zeolite by conducting long-term batch exposure tests using (a) high concentration chlorine solutions and (b) low pH solutions. Particle size analysis, SEM images, N2 gas adsorption tests, FTIR characterization and batch loading tests showed that 35-day exposure to 1000 mg Cl2/L solutions did not significantly impact the zeolite studied. This chlorine exposure is equivalent to 840,000 ppm-h, which is three orders of magnitude higher than the values recommended by the supplier. The 90-day-long low pH exposure tests showed that pH = 4 solutions only slightly impacted the zeolite’s characteristics and ammonium uptake; however, the pH = 3 exposure led to discernable changes, and the pH = 2 exposure led to an even greater impact. At pH = 2, there was a breakdown of some external part of the zeolite particles, leading to a 7.1-fold increase in the fines and a 56% reduction in the ammonium uptake. The decrease in the ammonium uptake was proportional to the percent of fines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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12 pages, 4518 KiB  
Article
Frequency Response Method for Diffusivity Characterization of Propane in HZSM-5
by Rebecca Grün, Constantino Grau Turuelo, Sebastian Ehrling and Cornelia Breitkopf
Minerals 2023, 13(10), 1244; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13101244 - 23 Sep 2023
Viewed by 567
Abstract
Transient uptake curves for propane gas in a bed of HZSM-5 using a volumetric frequency response setup (batch system) were obtained. Thereby, a perturbation, such as a change in volume, was applied to the solid/gas system, and the resulting change in pressure was [...] Read more.
Transient uptake curves for propane gas in a bed of HZSM-5 using a volumetric frequency response setup (batch system) were obtained. Thereby, a perturbation, such as a change in volume, was applied to the solid/gas system, and the resulting change in pressure was detected. Two cases of mass transfer limitations (bed diffusion control and micropore diffusion control) were compared, and it was concluded that, in the presented case, micropore diffusion is the rate-determining process. The obtained micropore diffusion coefficient for propane in HZSM-5 was, on average, about 1.2 × 10−10 m2 g−1, which is in good agreement with other frequency response studies shown by literature data. The homemade setup and the modeling presented in this work serve as the basis for ongoing numerical simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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35 pages, 10159 KiB  
Article
Simulation of the Frequency Response Analysis of Gas Diffusion in Zeolites by Means of Computational Fluid Dynamics
by Constantino Grau Turuelo, Rebecca Grün and Cornelia Breitkopf
Minerals 2023, 13(10), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13101238 - 22 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 909
Abstract
Frequency response (FR) analysis allows the characterization of gas diffusion occurring within a porous solid system. The shape of the pressure response curves obtained after a volume modulation in the reactor gives essential information about the gas adsorption and desorption properties of the [...] Read more.
Frequency response (FR) analysis allows the characterization of gas diffusion occurring within a porous solid system. The shape of the pressure response curves obtained after a volume modulation in the reactor gives essential information about the gas adsorption and desorption properties of the porous material, e.g., zeolites, which is in contact with a certain gas environment, as well as information about the transport phenomena such as diffusion. In this work, a simulation model developed in COMSOL Multiphysics® is introduced to reproduce the experimental behavior of the tested solid/gas systems. This approach covers, for the first time, a coupling of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), porous media flow, and a customized mass adsorption/desorption function to simulate the behavior of real frequency response systems. The simulation results are compared to experimental data obtained from the interaction of propane in MFI zeolites as well as additional data from the literature to evaluate the model validity. Furthermore, a small variation study of the effect of simulation parameters such as the mass of the sample, bed porosity, or geometry is performed and analyzed. The essential advantage of this model with respect to other analytical approaches is to observe the spatial pressure and adsorption distribution (along with other local effects) of the gas within the porous material. Thus, local environments can be visualized, and non-idealities can, therefore, be detected in contrast to the general integral simulation approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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21 pages, 9460 KiB  
Article
Electrocoagulation Combined with Synthetic Zeolite—Does the Size of Zeolite Particles Matter?
by Nediljka Vukojević Medvidović, Ladislav Vrsalović, Sandra Svilović, Klara Magaš, Dražan Jozić and Anđela Čović
Minerals 2023, 13(9), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091141 - 29 Aug 2023
Viewed by 742
Abstract
Although electrocoagulation combined with zeolite (ECZ) shows higher efficiency in wastewater treatment, the actual contribution of zeolite particle size has not been fully explored. In this work, the influence of particle size of synthetic zeolite SZ (<90, 90–160, and 160–600 μm) on ECZ [...] Read more.
Although electrocoagulation combined with zeolite (ECZ) shows higher efficiency in wastewater treatment, the actual contribution of zeolite particle size has not been fully explored. In this work, the influence of particle size of synthetic zeolite SZ (<90, 90–160, and 160–600 μm) on ECZ treatment of compost leachate with very high organic load is investigated together with different electrode materials (Fe, Al, and Zn), current densities (0.003, 0.009 and 0.018 A/cm2), and contact times (10, 20 and 30 min). The results positively highlight that the largest particle size should be used in ECZ, as it leads to a lower increase in pH and temperature, a higher decrease of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity, and a lower electrode consumption, while causing more damage to the electrode surface. The estimated energy costs ranged from 3.960 kW/m3–1313.657 kW/m3. The Taguchi L9 orthogonal configuration showed the highest COD and turbidity decrease under the conditions of 160–600 µm zeolite particles. The powder X-ray diffractometer (PXRD) analysis shows that interplanar spacing decreases when smaller and medium SZ particle sizes are used, while this effect was not observed with larger zeolite particle size. SEM-EDS shows that oxygen, silicon, and aluminium are the predominant elements in electrogenerated sludge coupled with zeolite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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14 pages, 2546 KiB  
Article
Sorption of Natural Siderophores onto Clinoptilolite-Tuff and Its Controlled-Release Characteristics
by Mona M. Haemmerle and Cornelius Tschegg
Minerals 2023, 13(5), 611; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13050611 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 974
Abstract
Iron deficiency-induced chlorosis is a widespread horti-/agricultural problem that can lead to massive crop failures, especially for plants growing on calcareous soils. The most effective agronomical practice to prevent plants from iron deficiency is to apply synthetic Fe-(chelate)-fertilizers to the soil. Because these [...] Read more.
Iron deficiency-induced chlorosis is a widespread horti-/agricultural problem that can lead to massive crop failures, especially for plants growing on calcareous soils. The most effective agronomical practice to prevent plants from iron deficiency is to apply synthetic Fe-(chelate)-fertilizers to the soil. Because these compounds are usually not biodegradable and, therefore, may become soil contaminants, efficient and environmentally friendly solutions are needed. The present study investigates a novel approach to tackle chlorosis in plants using clinoptilolite-tuff as a carrier substrate for the natural Fe-siderophore ‘coprogen’. The combination of the two substances promises economic and ecological potential to be used as a fertilizer to prevent crop failures triggered by micro-nutritional shortages. Sorption and release experiments were performed in batch and column setups in order to understand the binding characteristics; analyses were carried out using ICP-MS, HPLC, XRD, and SEM, respectively. Results show the highest sorption capacity of coprogen (92.8%) and corresponding Fe (90.2%) on clinoptilolite-tuff at pH 4 within 30 min as well as the efficient release of coprogen at pH 8, mimicking alkaline soil conditions (88% of the sorbed coprogen is released from the tuff). The gained data suggest that coprogen is bound onto the clinoptilolite-tuff through surface-mediated sorption based on electrostatic interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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19 pages, 1743 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Ceramic Membranes Developed on Different Algerian Natural Clays for Industrial-Effluent Filtration
by Leyla Hamoudi, Djamel Eddine Akretche, Amina Hadadi, Abdeltif Amrane and Lotfi Mouni
Minerals 2023, 13(2), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13020273 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1464
Abstract
This research is based on the deposition of ceramic membranes made from Algerian clays within tubular supports. The major objective is to compare the mechanical strength and water permeability of the developed supports. The membranes made from the same clays are then examined [...] Read more.
This research is based on the deposition of ceramic membranes made from Algerian clays within tubular supports. The major objective is to compare the mechanical strength and water permeability of the developed supports. The membranes made from the same clays are then examined in terms of their application areas and efficacy in treating a local-cheese effluent. The study of these clays demonstrates that the tubular supports made from Aomar clay are more robust than those obtained from kaolin and bentonite. This was due to the higher calcination temperature, which was 1000 °C for Aomar and kaolin clays and 800 °C for bentonite. However, the tubular support based on kaolin has the maximum water permeability (1460.09 L/m2.h.bar). In addition, the permeability tests performed on the membranes deposited on these clays indicate that those of bentonite and Aomar clay are ultrafiltration membranes, whereas the membrane obtained from kaolin is a microfiltration membrane. We demonstrated that the three membranes show high efficiency for the clarification and retention of multiple-pollutant loads of a local-cheese effluent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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Review

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18 pages, 1238 KiB  
Review
Clinoptilolite—An Efficient Carrier for Catalytically Active Nano Oxide Particles
by Jelena Pavlović and Nevenka Rajić
Minerals 2023, 13(7), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13070877 - 29 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
Many efforts have been devoted to produce green materials and technology to prevent and minimize the adverse effects on the environment and human health caused primarily by population growth and industrial progress. Over the past years, the use of zeolites has attracted considerable [...] Read more.
Many efforts have been devoted to produce green materials and technology to prevent and minimize the adverse effects on the environment and human health caused primarily by population growth and industrial progress. Over the past years, the use of zeolites has attracted considerable attention as both an economically and environmentally friendly option. Zeolites are crystalline, hydrated aluminosilicates with an open-framework structure. Unique structural features make them very useful ion-changers, adsorbents and catalysts. The catalytic use of zeolites has expanded from traditional use in the petrochemical industry and refineries to use in the catalytic degradation of various environmental pollutants and the synthesis of fine chemicals. In recent times, progress on the use of zeolites has been achieved in biomass conversion to fuels and valuable industrial bio-based chemicals. This review highlights the recent advances in the catalytic application of clinoptilolite (CLI), the most abundant and explored natural zeolite. The main goal of the review is to give the current state of CLI applications and insights into CLI catalytic performance, which opens possibilities for a variety of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zeolite: From a Boiling Stone to the Applicable Minerals in Various Industrial Processes)
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