Zeolite 4A is the main substitute builders for sodium tripolyphosphate in non-phosphated detergent. It can be manufactured from savageness clay and the cost may greatly be reduced by this method. In the manufacturing process of detergent-used zeolite 4A from montmorillonite, it is important to remove quartz from clay or zeolite, otherwise the product will not qualified for detergent additive. This article provides two methods, the calibration curve method of quartz content by XRD and the calibration curve method of aluminium ion concentration in synthetic system, to determine the quartz content. Then three methods of removing quartz were studied on, including the methods of whirlwind during the mill run, filtration after alkalinization of silicic acid gel and sedimentation of zeolite.
Calcium ion exchange behavior of Zeolites used in detergent such as NaA, NaX and NaP was studied by Ion Selective Electrode Method (ISE). The linear relationship between calcium ion exchange capacity and framework aluminum content of zeolite NaX was found, and the effects of exchange temperature, concentration of zeolite and other cations on calcium ion exchange behavior were also investigated. The sequence of the calcium ion exchange selectivity of zeolite MAP, NaA and NaP was determined. The framework structure of zeolite NaA, NaX and NaP significantly influence the cation exchange behavior of these three zeolites.
