The effect of ammonia activation on the desalination potential of natural zeolite

Kenessova A.K. Rakhym A.B. Zhaksybay B.B. Seilkhanova G.A.
2023 Ural Federal University

Chimica Techno Acta
2023 #10 Issue 3

Despite the abundance of water bodies on Earth, there is a limited amount of potable water. Therefore, the desalination process is of great interest. Adsorption of the main contaminants of saline water (Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^– ions) is an alternative process of desalination. In the present work, a sorbent based on natural zeolite (NZ) modified with ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) is obtained and the effect of modification on the removal of Na⁺ and K⁺ ions from saline water is studied. According to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, the modification of zeolite with NH₄Cl leads to an increase in its surface area (7.85 to 8.09 m²/g). According to the results of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) determination, the modification leads to a decrease in total CEC of zeolite (431.67±29.01 to 300.88±31.86 meq/100 g). According to the obtained results, ammonia modification enhances the adsorption ability of NZ to extract Na⁺ and K⁺ ions from saline water. The extraction degree (E) of Na⁺ ions by NH₄-Z increases from 7.93±1.63 to 10.44±1.52%, while for K⁺ ions it increases about 2 times (27.69±2.45 to 56.46±3.71%). These results indicate that the ammonia-modified NZ can potentially be used as a desalination agent for the removal of Na⁺ and K⁺ ions from saline water.

ammonia activation , desalination , natural zeolite , potassium adsorption , sodium adsorption

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Department of physical chemistry, catalysis and petrochemistry, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
Center of Physicochemical Methods of Research and Analysis, Almaty, 050012, Kazakhstan

Department of physical chemistry
Center of Physicochemical Methods of Research and Analysis

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