THE IMPACT OF TEMPERATURE ON ACID ACTIVATED CLAY FROM ASENI REGION IN KOGI STATE

ABSTRACT

This project investigates the effect of temperature on the acid activation of clay and its subsequent impact on catalytic activity. The clay samples derived from the ASENI region, Kogi state, was subjected to acid activation treatments at two different temperatures (200°C and 400°C) and a base sample (which was untreated) were characterized using various techniques including SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and BET analysis. FTIR spectra analysis revealed characteristic peaks indicating structural changes induced by temperature variations. Notably, the presence of kaolinite was confirmed, with hydroxyl stretching vibrations (3700-3600 cm^-1) and Al-OH bending vibrations (910-900 cm^-1). The BET analysis demonstrated that increasing temperature led to an increase in surface area and pore volume, indicating enhanced accessibility of reactant molecules to the catalyst’s active sites. The SEM analysis corroborated these findings, showing a significant increase in pore volume and size with temperature. Particles heated at higher temperatures appeared more loosely packed, indicating increased pore volume and size compared to samples heated at lower temperatures or the base sample. The results suggest that higher temperatures during acid activation lead to modifications in clay structure, resulting in increased surface area, pore volume, and size. These modifications enhance the catalyst’s activity by facilitating greater accessibility of reactant molecules to active sites and promoting the detachment of products from the catalyst surface.