Abstract:

The opal shale is heated up to 600℃ to 1200℃ by heat treatment. The original and heated samples have been characterized by SEM and XRD, and the specific surface area is measured by the BET method. The adsorption capacity of the opal shale is tested by the rhodamine-B solution. The results show that the opal shale is made of microcrystalline tridymite and α-quartz. The specific surface area of the opal shale is up to 82.856 m²/g , increases with the rising temperature and reaches its maximum at 900 ℃. After 900 ℃, the specific surface area of the opal shale declines with the fatherly rising in temperature of heat treatment. The adsorption rate is fast, and the de-colorization rate could exceed 96%. With high adsorption capability, high adsorption rate and high thermal stability, the opal shale has wide application prospects.

Key words: opal shale, heat treatment, cell texture, adsorption