Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T05:35:49.116Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Zeolite Crystal Growth in Space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. Sacco Jr.
Affiliation:
The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected]
N. Bac
Affiliation:
The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected]
J. Warzywoda
Affiliation:
The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected]
G. Rossetti Jr.
Affiliation:
The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected]
M. Valcheva-Traykova
Affiliation:
The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The extensive use of zeolites and their impact on the world's economy has resulted in many efforts to characterize their structure and improve the knowledge base for nucleation and growth of these crystals. Zeolite crystal growth (ZCG) experiments have been conducted in space by many researchers. The results have been varied with little overall constancy with respect to the types of zeolites grown, the procedures used, and methodologies employed for comparison of terrestrial and microgravity processed crystals. Results from this laboratory have indicated that solutions must be mixed in space, and that the nucleation mechanism as well as the growth mechanism is affected by the “suppression” of fluid motion. Earlier flight experiments (STS-43, STS-50 and STS- 57) indicated that by controlling the nucleation event, the size of the crystals could be increased with improved structural quality compared to the ground-based controls. This was hypothesized to be the result of hindrance of the solution/dissolution mechanism caused by reduced fluid motion. USML-2 (STS-73) zeolite experiments were designed to further enhance the understanding of nucleation and growth of zeolite crystals, while attempting to provide a means of controlling the defect concentration in microgravity. Zeolites A, X, and Silicalte were grown during the 16-day United States Microgravity Laboratory number 2 (USML-2) mission. All zeolites were successfully grown in the 16 day mission. The zeolite A and X crystals were in general larger in dimension (10-50%), but not substantially different in crystal perfection as measured by their lattice parameters. However, They were significantly smoother as indicated by AFM. Zeolite β as well as Silicalite were only slightly larger in size but, appear to have different distributions of Aluminum atoms as determined by selective catalytic reactions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Chemical Week, 35, June 5, 1996.Google Scholar
2 Coker, E. N., Dixon, A. G., Thompson, R. W., and Sacco, A. Jr., Microporous Materials 3 pp.637646 (1995).Google Scholar
3 Fiske, M. R. and Olsen, R. A., (AAIA Paper 92-0785, 30th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV, January 1992.Google Scholar
4 Scott, G., Thompson, R. W., Dixon, A. G., and Sacco, A. Jr., Zeolites 10, pp. 4449 (1990).Google Scholar
5 Morris, M., Dixon, A. G., Sacco, A. Jr., and Thompson, R. W. Zeolites 13, pp. 113121 (1993).Google Scholar
6 Sacco, A. Jr., Baç, N., Coker, E. N., Dixon, A. G., Warzywoda, J., and Thompson, R.W. Joint L+1 Year Science Review of USML-1 and USMP-1, NASA Conference Publication 3272, May 1994.Google Scholar
7 Sacco, A. Jr., Baç, N., Warzywoda, J., Guray, I., Marceau, M., Sacco, T. L., and Whalen, L. M. (AlP Proc. 420, Space Technology and Applications International Forum, Part 2, Albuquerque NM 1998), pp. 544549.Google Scholar