Synthesis of Zeolite-like Material by Hydrothermal and Fusion Methods Using Municipal Solid Waste Fly Ash

Due to the widely application of waste incineration in China, considerable waste ash were generated every year. The treatment and utilization of municipal solid waste fly ash (MSWFA) remains a challenging work. Unlike coal fly ash (CFA) that can be used to synthesize different types of zeolite-like materials, MSWFA is lacking of silicon and aluminum which are essential to the synthesis of zeolites. The aim of this research was to investigate the possibility of zeolite synthesis using MSWFA by adding silicon and aluminum sources from various solid waste to achieve recycling utilization. The raw materials were treated with alkaline using hydrothermal and fusion methods. The synthetic products were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The results indicated that the products obtained from both hydrothermal and fusion treatment demonstrated the characteristics of zeolite-like materials. Compared to the raw materials, the synthetic products showed higher cation exchange capacity of 1.00 meq/g, implying the potential application by converting MSWFA into useful materials.