Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicates, and Al or Si can be substituted by other elements, such as Ge, Ga, or P. Zeolites have been studied for more than two hundred years, because of their wide application and importance in mineralogy and technology. With high acidity and special pore system, zeolite beta (IZA code BEA) receives much attention. In the dissertation, the formation and dehydration enthalpy of cation exchanged zeolite beta, Li/Na/K/Rb/Cs/Mg/Ca/Sr/Ba -BEA 14 (14 is the Si/Al ratio), Mg/Ca - BEA 4 (4 is the Si/Al ratio), were studied by high-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry. From an energetic point of view, zeolites beta are less stable than other zeolites of similar Si/Al ratio and cation content. Their enthalpies of formation and dehydration become more endothermic with increasing average ionic potential of the cations in the channels. The unfavorable enthalpy of low silica Mg-BEA 4 and Ca-BEA 4 suggests a possible energy barrier in their direct synthesis.
The formation and partial molar dehydration enthalpy of Li-BEA 3 and Na-BEA 3.67 are also investigated by high temperature calorimetry. The partial molar dehydration enthalpies are a linear function of water content. Molecular mechanics simulations explore the cation and water molecule positions in the framework at several water contents.
Ga substitution is of great interest due to the special catalytic character of Ga zeolites and the directing agent effect of Ga atoms. The energetics of gallosilicate zeolites Ga-NaSOD, Ga-NaFAU, Ga-NaNAT, Ga-KNAT, Ga-KLTL and Ga-KTUN-1 were studied. The lattice parameters and adsorbed water content increase after Ga substitution of Al. Compared to analogous aluminosilicate zeolites, the gallosilicate zeolites have a similar dehydration enthalpy per mole of tetrahedra, but a less endothermic dehydration enthalpy per mole of water. The gallosilicate zeolites also have less exothermic formation enthalpies from oxide components. The energetics of Ga zeolites are further discussed in terms of Si/Ga ratio, framework density and cation effects.
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