Converting liability into asset: novel mesoporous zeotype from fly ash using silatrane chemistry

Abstract

Fly ash has become a major liability. We report here a clean technology to convert this liability into an asset. Novel mesoporous zeotype, UDCaT-8 was synthesized by using a unique process based on silatrane chemistry. Instead of costly silanes and alkoxides, fly ash was utilized as a raw material. In this process, silicon and aluminium oxide dissolutions were carried out with ethylene glycol in the presence of amines as organic bases. The silatrane and alumatrane glycolate complexes thus formed were converted to a novel mesoporous zeotype via double-stage heating process (pyrolysis followed by oxidation).