Effect of hydrothermal treatment on the structure of an aluminosilicate polymer

The effect of hydrothermal treatment on the structure of an aluminosilicate polymer prepared by a polycondensation reaction between silicate and hydroxoaluminate in alkaline aqueous solution was studied. The structural changes were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy imaging and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the amorphous aluminosilicate polymer transformed into a crystalline product during the hydrothermal treatment at 145°C. The crystalline phase was identified as a mineral of the zeolite group, most likely phillipsite. This transformation required an alkaline environment during the hydrothermal treatment.