Atomic Force Microscopy and High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy Investigation of Zeolite A Crystal Growth: Part 2: In Presence of Organic Additives

The nanoscopic details of the crystal growth of zeolite A in the presence of the organic modifiers diethanolmaine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) has been determined using a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) coupled with Monte Carlo simulations. Crystallization of zeolite A in the presence of TEA was faster than when the growing solution contained DEA. In addition, the morphology of the final zeolite A crystals depended on the type of organic molecule, with TEA producing crystals bound only by {100} facets and DEA leading to the formation of relatively large {110} faces. These features can be explained in terms of the relative Si/Al in the growing medium and its control due to the different affinity of the organic molecules to Al. In addition, synthesis performed at 90 °C showed the appearance of {211} facets. Careful review of the HRSEM and AFM images, in addition to comparison with the MC simulations, reveals that these are in fact pseudofacets, products of the slow dissolution of the metastable zeolite A crystals. This proves that the final habit of the LTA crystals can be governed by very small changes in saturation of the growing medium, and control of this parameter can prove advantageous when designing crystals for industrial applications.