Influence of anions on liquid infiltration and defiltration in a zeolite Y

In pure water a hydrothermally treated zeolite Y is hydrophilic, while with the addition of an electrolyte it can no longer be soaked up spontaneously. The effective degree of hydrophobicity increases with the ion concentration, which is reflected by the increase in infiltration pressure. The pressure-induced infiltration behavior is not only determined by the cations, but also highly dependent on the anion species. This phenomenon can be attributed to the confinement effect of nanopore walls. © 2008 The American Physical Society.