Abstract:
Maredan clay is one of the mineral resources in Siak Regency, Riau Province,
containing silica and alumina which can be used as raw materials for making zeolites.
Prior to use, the clay must be activated to remove impurities from the clay structure
lattice. In this study, the Maredan clay was activated using H2SO4 1 M with the reflux
method and calcined at 650℃ for 3 hours. Activated clay and before activation were
analyzed using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence). The results of XRF analysis show that the
activation process can increase the content of silica and alumina oxides, as well as the
Si/Al ratio, on the other hand it can reduce the iron (Fe) content in the clay. The
increase in silica and alumina content can increases the chances of converting Maredan
clay into zeolite.