Heterogeneous lyophobic systems based on pure silica ITH-type zeolites: high pressure intrusion of water and electrolyte solutions

Abstract

The energetic performances of pure silica ITH-type zeolites were studied by high pressure intrusion–extrusion in water and LiCl aqueous solutions at different concentrations. When pure water was intruded, a bumper behavior was exhibited with an intrusion pressure of 82 MPa and an absorbed energy of 6.6 J g⁻¹. Changing the intruded liquid from water to LiCl aqueous solutions, an increase of the intrusion pressure was observed with 119, 175 and 280 MPa for 5 M, 10 M and 20 M LiCl aqueous solutions, respectively. The energy that the latter system could absorb (30.8 J g⁻¹) was among the highest ever reported. A change in the behavior with LiCl concentration was also observed. The “ITH-type zeosil–20 M LiCl solution” system demonstrated a combination of bumper and shock-absorber behaviors, whereas a bumper behavior was displayed for water and the other LiCl aqueous solutions. All the zeolite samples were characterized before and after intrusion–extrusion experiments (XRD, SEM, N₂ adsorption–desorption, TG and NMR analysis) in order to understand the influence of LiCl concentration on the “zeosil–liquid” system behavior.