Characterization of Bambu Clay as A Precursor for The Synthesis of Zeolite for Catalytic Application

Abstract

The clay in Bambu town, north-central Nigeria, has been used as a ceramic formulation for several generations without understanding its properties. In this paper, the mineralogical study of the Bambu clay sample was investigated in order to deduce its properties and its potential for technological applications. Samples of the clay were first pre-treated and subjected to elemental composition using powder diffraction, morphology, Fourier transform infrared, and area-volume-pore size analyses. The results indicated that Bambu clay can be classified as kaolinite with a Si/Al ratio of approximately 1:85. From the SEM, the particles show the presence of pseudo-hexagonal structures within the clay structure. The average crystallite size was deduced from the XRD analysis to be 43.5nm. The BET analysis reveals that the surface area of the clay was 429.70 m²g-1, pore volume was 0.042 cm³g-1 and the pore radius was 2.14 nm. The clay showed that the sample possessed a concentration of Bronsted acidic sites of 31.57 µmol/g and Lewis acidic sites of 34.40 µmol/g. To ascertain the clay’s viability for industrial application, the results of the analyses were compared with other clays from the literature. It can be deduced from the analyses that the Bambu clay is kaolinite, mesoporous, has a crystalline structure, a low Si/Al ratio, a higher surface area than zeolite Y, and a high concentration of Lewis acidic sites and a low concentration of Bronsted acidic sites. The clay could be a good precursor material for the synthesis of zeolite Y for catalytic applications.