Prof. D. N. Singh

NEVIN KOSHY

Ph. D.
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, India nevinkoshy@gmail.com

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS OF ALKALI ACTIVATED FLY ASH

There has been a growing interest in alkali activation of the fly ash for synthesis of geopolymers and highly porous minerals known as zeolites. With this in view, several methods of zeolite synthesis, both at laboratory and at industrial scales, were employed for synthesizing Na- and Ca- based zeolites. Based on a detailed and systematic characterization scheme that deals with the physical, chemical, mineralogical, morphological and textural attributes of the end products, and by employing their cation-exchange capacity, the most optimal conditions and methodology for synthesis of zeolites were achieved. This study also investigates the particle size and pore structure modifications occurring in calcium hydroxide based activation of the fly ash. Furthermore, the morphological features have been analysed to exhibit the effect of alkali interaction on the reduction in larger sized particles and the steady growth in smaller-sized crystals. Studies have also been conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of these zeolites for depuration of heavy metals in aqueous medium by performing a series of batch tests.