Journal article

Synthesis and characterization of hydrophobic zeolite for the treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated ground water

KA Northcott, J Bacus, N Taya, Y Komatsu, JM Perera, GW Stevens

Journal of Hazardous Materials | Published : 2010

Abstract

Hydrophobic zeolite was synthesized, modified and characterized for its suitability as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) material for treatment of hydrocarbons in groundwater. Batch sorption tests were performed along with a number of standard characterization techniques. High and low ionic strength and pH tests were also conducted to determine their impact on hydrocarbon uptake. Further ion exchange tests were conducted to determine the potential for the zeolite to act as both a hydrocarbon capture material and nutrient a delivery system for bioremediation.The zeolite was coated with octadecyltrichlorosilane (C18) to change its surface properties. The results of the surface characterizatio..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, a Special Research Centre of the Australian Research Council and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology. The St Cloud zeolite was supplied by the Australian Antarctic Division. Special thanks to Meifang Zhou from the School of Chemistry, the University of Melbourne, for advice on the TGA and nitrogen adsorption techniques, Dr Yujiro Watanabe (KIT) and Professor Kaoru Fujinaga (KIT) for assistance with the XRD and GC measurements.