VALUATION OF NATURAL MATERIALS BASED ON SILICA (PERLITE AND DIATOMITE) FOR ADSORPTIVE PROCESSES
perlite, diatomite, zeolite, Rodamine B.
Natural materials based on silica such as perlite and diatomite were studied and treated to be used in adsorptive processes. Initially the properties of the natural materials: expanded perlite and three different diatomites were studied. The natural materials were used in adsorptive processes using the dye Rhodamine B as model molecule. It was also studied the transformation of these materials into zeolites, using them as source of Si and Al. The products obtained were mixtures of zeolites of OFF, GIS and ERI topologies, characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The zeolite OFF showed an elongated prism morphology and the GIS and ERI zeolites were observed as crystalline intergrowth. The material produced was used in an adsorption study of the Rhodamine B dye. The zeolite mixture proved to be a better adsorbent than the expanded perlite, obtaining high efficiency. Studies of diatomite transformation in zeolites are still being carried out.