Structure and morphological properties of clinoptilolite modified by manganese dioxide

The chemical composition and morphological properties of сlinoptilolite-bearing materials modified by MnО2 have been studied using modern physical methods. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray spectral microanalysis and optical reflection microscopy were applied. It was experimentally shown that MnО2-modified samples with high and low Si/Al ratios differed in such parameters as the layer thickness, the surface concentration, the degree of particle-surface dealumination, and also in morphological peculiarities of the MnО2-phase. This phase in the samples with high Si/Al ratios exhibited the structure formed by nanorods of 10-20 nm in diameter and 500-700 nm in length. These nanorods are intermeshed in the net which is cross-linked with the surface of clinoptilolite particles. The MnО2-modification of the samples was established to result in improving their mechanical and chemical strength as compared with the initial forms.