THE USE OF ZEOLITES FOR THE REMOVAL OF ORGANICS FROM WATER

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THE USE OF ZEOLITES FOR THE REMOVAL OF ORGANICS
FROM WATER
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What are Zeolites and can they do

• Zeolites are naturally occurring minerals formed
  from volcanic ash, clays, feldspars, and others.
• Zeolites have a porous three-dimensional
  structure with interconnected cavities and
  channels.
• Can remove barium, mercury, cadmium, copper,
  lead, etc.

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Uses of Natural Zeolites

• Enhance detergent efficiency
• Heavy metal adsorption
• Treatment of radioactive waste
• Ammonia removal
• Dietary supplements-fish, animals
• Remove leachate contaminants

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Characteristics of a Good Removal Agent

• 1. Good Absorbent
• 2. Inexpensive
• 3. Field Regenerable
• 4. Removes hazardous cations and anions

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Test with Tetramethylammonia Dosage (TMA) on
Zeolitic Tuffs

• Results
• 1. Location and ionic distances of exchanged
  TM cations affect sorption and pollutant type
  removed.
• 2. Small distances result in less BTEX removal
  because organic cations tend to occupy sites.
• 3. Intermediate TMA ionic distances remove
  BTEX.

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Results (cont.)

• . Toluene and o-Xylene have limited access to
  sites.
• . Sorption capacity for benzene was increased.
• . Sorption capacities for toluene o- Xylene
  were increased.
• . Selective removal-benzene toluene o- Xylene.
• . Organozeolite can be thermally regenerated.

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Maximum Linear Sorption Coefficient Values for
BTX Removal by Untreated and Treated Samples
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Other Findings

• Treatment of zeolites with organic compounds at
  or near external CEC can remove BTEX, Phenolite,
  Chromate, Selenate and sulfate.
• Organic treatment only affects external surface
  of the zeolite
• Organozeolite may undergo biological attack and
  loss of efficiency after repeated use.
• Mechanisms of organic removal are not well
  understood.