Kaolin is an abundant mineral that would make a much more economically viable and environmentally friendly starting material for zeolite synthesis. ZSM-5 is an aluminosilicate zeolite mineral belonging to the pentasil family of zeolites and was patented in 1975 by the Mobil Oil Company for cracking petroleum products. Various research groups have attempted to derive zeolites from this mineral. Now, a UK team has found that they can make zeolite ZSM-5 even from Nigerian kaolin containing high levels of quartz using direct synthesis using less energy and potentially boosting the local economy.

Image:(c) Wiley-VCH

• The direct conversion of impure natural kaolin into pure zeolite catalysts
  S. M. Holmes, S. H. Khoo, A. S. Kovo,
  Green Chem. 2011.
  DOI:10.1039/C1GC15099E