Surface modification of zeolite and kaolin with 3-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane and 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate

Zeolites are crystalline, hydrated aluminosilicates of alkaline earth cations composed of 3-dimensional frameworks, which have been widely used for adsorbents, catalysts, ion exchangers, molecular sieves for separation, and sorting the molecules according to their crystalline size dimensions. Kaolin is an industrial clay, consisting of hydrated aluminum silicate mineral, named kaolinite. Kaolin is used for various purposes in paper coating and filling, ceramics, cracking catalysts, and many other uses. Kaolin functions as pharmaceutical excipient in commercial products, such as granulating agent, film-coating additive, anti-caking agent and also accelerates blood clotting. Surface modification of kaolin allows it to be used in different industries and for different purposes. Surface modification of inorganic materials can be carried out by means of silanol agents. (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPTMS), (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS) are known important silanization agents used for surface modification. The aim of this study is the surface modification of a zeolite and kaolin with APTES and MPTMS at different ratios and in different solvent media (ethanol, toluene, DMSO). The structures of the samples were investigated using zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was determined that the optimum APTES modification ratio for zeolite was 1:10 in toluene, while the optimum MPTMS modification ratio of kaolin was 1:3. It was revealed that the layered structure of kaolin is interleaved with DMSO solvent.