A facile method to deposit zeolites Y and L onto cellulose fibers

Zeolite (Y and L)/cellulose composites are synthesized from natural cellulose fibers pre-treated with NaOH, KOH or Na2SiO3, and preformed zeolite powders. Several techniques such as diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and BET specific surface area measurements were used to characterize these materials. Successful synthesis depends on extent of water removal from open reactors, fiber pre-treatment and reaction temperature, reaction time, and initial water: zeolite:fiber ratio. One important trait of the materials reported in this study is that their zeolite content becomes stable on washing with water at 373 K for several hours. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Inc.