Characterization between crude diatomite and diatomite Treated chemically

Benzelmat, L.a.; Cherraka, R.; Hadjel, M.; Ketteb, A.; Goual, N.

algerian journal of environmental science and technology
Volume 5, Numéro 4, Pages 1107-1112
2019-12-30

Characterization Between Crude Diatomite And Diatomite Treated Chemically

Authors : Benzelmat L.a. . Cherraka R. . Hadjel M. . Ketteb A. . Goual N. .

Abstract

diatomite of SIG also called Kieselguhr, is a white substance of fossil organic origin formed by microscopic skeletons of diatoms which are unicellular algae found in aqueous systems, it has very specific properties such as a porosity greater than 72% and a high adsorption capacity, its main component is amorphous silica, This mineral material is not pure in its natural state and is full of impurities that occupy the pores, that is why the objective of this work is to modify this diatomite before use, in order to improve the quality of the pores and valorized this material, Our diatomite sample was crushed, sieved and the fraction of 500 μm was collected then it underwent a chemical treatment to the 5M nitric acid at 60% for 2 hours at reflux. The raw and treated diatomite were characterized by the following methods X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscope, particle sizes, infrared IR, X-ray diffraction, for a subsequent comparison between the raw and the treated diatomite. The results of the crude diatomite show that it contains certain components such as silica, iron, alumina and the calcium carbonates which occupy the pores, whereas for the treated diatomite there is a total disappearance of the impurities, namely the Calcium carbonates thatdoes not reach 1%, and a predominance of silica that exceeded 79%. This treatment made it possible to modify the surface characteristics to improve the performance of the porous structure.