STUDY OF ZEOLITE SYNTHESIS PARAMETERS USING SILICO-ALUMINUM
INDUSTRIAL WASTE WITH AIM AT SCALING
silicoaluminate residue; zeolite A; mechanochemical milling; alkaline digestion;
particle size distribution
he growing demand for sustainable technologies has driven the development
of strategies for the reuse of industrial waste. This work proposes the valorization of a silica-
aluminous residue from the lithium production chain, specifically from the processing of
spodumene, as an alternative source of silicon and aluminum for the synthesis of lta-type
zeolites. For this purpose, physical-chemical activation methodologies such as sieving, alkaline
digestion, alkaline fusion and mechanochemical activation (grinding) are required to assess the
impact of critical operational variables — temperature, time, naoh concentration, water content,
rotation per minute and mesh opening — on the release of species of interest into solution.
Preliminary results show that the residue has a composition rich in si and al, with morphological
characteristics compatible with phases such as β-spodumene and quartz. X-ray diffraction and
sem analyses confirmed the presence of resistant silica phases such as quartz and the need for
additional treatments to enable their solubilization. For future comparisons, the standard lta
zeolite was successfully obtained. The data obtained so far support future stages of lta zeolite
synthesis, in which it will be possible to comparatively evaluate the influence of each activation
route on the crystallization efficiency and quality of the product of interest.