Low temperature synthesis of zeolite N from kaolinites and montmorillonites

Zeolite N was produced from a variety of kaolinites and montmorillonites at low temperature (< 100 °C) in a constantly stirred reactor using potassic and potassic + sodic mother liquors with chloride or hydroxyl anions. Reactions were complete (> 95% product) in less than 20 h depending on initial batch composition and type of clay minerals. Zeolite N with 1.0 < Si/Al < 2.2 was produced under these conditions using KOH in the presence of KCl, NaCl, KCl + NaCl and KCl + NaOH. Zeolite N was also formed under high potassium molarities in the absence of KCl. Zeolite synthesis was more sensitive to water content and temperature when sodium was used in initial batch compositions. Syntheses of zeolite N by these methods were undertaken at bench, pilot and industrial scales.