Porosity Distribution,Surface Area,and Morphology of Synthetic Potassium Zeolites: A SEM and N2 Adsorption Study

The morphology of a synthetic zeolite (1717-nm particle-size grains; pore width 10–15 nm) as well as its surface area and mesoporosity is described. Morphology investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy has shown cuboid crystals. The full adsorption–desorption isotherms for N₂ gas measured volumetrically at 77 °K have shown type IV isotherm with type H₃ hysteresis loops. To study the reliable pore-size distribution, both adsorption and desorption, curves were used by fitting the data to several well-known adsorption models: Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Barret, Joyner, and Halenda (BJH), Dollimore and Heal (D-H), Horvath–Kawazoe, and the density functional theory (DFT).