CHEMICAL UPGRADING OF SEDIMENTARY NA-CHABAZITE FROM BOWIE, ARIZONA

Abstract

Natural zeolites may represent one of the greatest under-utilized resources of the mineral world. Even with their unique character and properties, issues of consistency, homogeneity and purity preclude them from many premium applications. We report a simple method to upgrade mineral sedimentary Na-chabazite from the well known Bowie, Arizona, deposit to near synthetic purity and consistency. During this alkaline-silicate digestion process, initially soft chabazite ore granules gain substantial mechanical strength. This may allow direct employment in adsorption and purification processes without the need for binding and forming. These granules manifest significantly improved adsorption properties, including enhanced water and CO2 adsorptivity.