COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND OIL ADSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CLINOPTILOLITES FROM TURKEY AND THE USA

This study reports the oil adsorption and re-use efficiency of the zeolite clinoptilolite. Three clinoptilolite samples (E-, R-, and T-TUR) from Turkey were analysed, including samples from the Aegean Region, Turkey. Analyses were compared with clinoptilolite from New Mexico, USA (C-USA). Samples were tested in replicated laboratory analyses in terms, of their ability to adsorb automobile oil (AO). Analyses included: (i) clinoptilolite samples were prepared for oil adsorption, using both hydrated (HC) and dehydrated (DHC) samples; (ii) Buchner funnels were lined with Whatman filter paper and batch adsorption experiments were conducted by adding 10 ml oil to 10 g samples of clinoptilolite. The oil infiltrating through samples was measured, thus enabling calculation of the amount of adsorbed oil. There were five replicates of each treatment; (iii) oil was removed from the clinoptilolite samples by heat treatment in a muffle furnace. Treatments were carried out at 500, 700 and 900 degrees C for 1 h. The oil adsorption experiments were repeated on the ignited samples (four replicates). Results showed that DHC samples generally adsorbed more AO than HC after 900 degrees C treatment. The adsorption capacities of the HC and DHC were 44.10-49.71 and 43.00-48.70%, respectively. The adsorption capacities of HC and DHC were 31.27-46.09 and 47.71-54.70%, respectively, after ignition at 700 degrees C. The adsorption capacities of HC and DHC were 68.92-80.91 and 65.57-78.94%, respectively, after the treatment at 500 degrees C. Overall, the amount of re-cycled oil by clinoptilolite varied between 39.01. and 82.78%. Turkish clinoptilolites had similar oil adsorption properties to the USA clinoptilolite and they could potentially be re-used for AO adsorption after the clinoptilolite-oil mix was ignited.