ADSORPTION OF MTBE ON NANO ZEOLITE COMPOSITES OF SELECTIVE SUPPORTS

Abstract The selected zeolite composites silicalite-1/fly ash cenosphere (S/FAC) and silicalite-1/diatomite (S/D) are successfully applied for effective removal of methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) from water system through batch adsorption process. Adsorption isotherms of zeolite composites demonstrated that the Langmuir model provided a good fit throughout the concentration rang (from 100 μg l −1 to 100 mg l −1 ). S/FAC had a higher maximum adsorption capacity ( q max  = 92 551 μg g −1 ) than S/D ( q max  = 48 465 μg g −1 ), due to the higher amount of silicalite-1 coated on its outer surface (21%) than that on S/D (12%). Other factors that associated with the practical application of zeolite composites were also discussed. Synthesis conditions of S/FAC are relatively mild and energy-saving, while S/D is more economical when considering the cost of the expensive organic template during the preparation process.