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Efficient ethylene removal of silver-exchanged zeolite X for fruit preservation
 
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1
Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
 
2
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Vietnam
 
 
Corresponding author
Nguyen Quang Long   

Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
 
 
J. Ecol. Eng. 2025; 26(8)
 
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ABSTRACT
Ethylene accelerates fruit ripening, leading to significant postharvest losses. This study synthesized silver-exchanged zeolite X (Ag/ZX) via vacuum-assisted ion exchange and evaluated its ethylene removal efficiency and banana preservation performance. Material characterization confirmed preserved zeolite X structure (XRD) with uniform Ag dispersion (EDX mapping, 2.49 wt% Ag loading). The optimal 0.7 mmol Ag/ZX sample demonstrated 90% ethylene removal (0.2 g material, 1000 ppmv C₂H₄, 30°C) within 180 min, outperforming pure zeolite X (11%) and lower-Ag samples (30% for 0.1–0.3 mmol Ag/ZX). Notably, Ag/ZX exhibited dual adsorption-oxidation functionality, with 0.1 mmol/g ethylene uptake capacity at 0.056 mmol/L initial concentration. The material maintained >82% efficiency after two regeneration cycles (400°C treatment). In banana storage trials, Ag/ZX delayed ripening by 4 days versus controls, reducing natural weight loss to <5% after 6 days (vs. 12% in controls) and inhibiting mold growth. The results highlight Ag/ZX as a cost-effective, regenerative solution for ethylene control, with direct applications in tropical fruit preservation.
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