Controllable preparation of Zeolite-P/calcined diatomite with MgCl2

Abstract Developing highly efficient calcined diatomite (C-D)-based filter aids with excellent adsorption performance is of great significance. Herein, Zeolite-P was successfully synthesized on the surface of C-D through hydrothermal modification with NaOH and MgCl2 as efficient morphology control agents. The optimal Zeolite-P/C-D material perfectly retained the diatomite structure and showed a whiteness of 83.36% and a high specific surface area of 237.47 m2/g, leading to an excellent adsorption capacity for methylene blue trihydrate (MB) of 125.46 mg/g and a good permeability of 0.43 darcy. The porous fibrous microspheres Zeolite-P was synthesized on the surface of C-D under controlled conditions to improve the adsorption performance of Zeolite-P/C-D material. By developing diatomite-based composites for filter aids applications, this study paves the way for the comprehensive and efficient utilization of low-cost diatomite resources.