Synthesis and characterization of alkali-activated zeolite-poor rocks

Abstract

Abstract Zeolite-geopolymer composite materials were obtained through mechanical activation using planetary ball mill followed by chemical activation using an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), these materials integrate the beneficial features of both zeolites and geopolymers. In this present work, the morphological characteristics, microstructure, phase determination of raw materials and the generated ceramic samples were studied by several characterization methods such as SEM, EDS and XRD. The microstructural analysis confirms the formation of needle-like structure in sub-micron and nanostructure, while the phase identification reveals the creation of single-phase zeolite (heulandite).