In　response　to　the　problem　of　deep　denitrification　of　sewage　plant　effluent,　four　types　of　natural　zeolites　(denoted　as　A,　B,　C,　D)　selected　from　several　typical　domestic　natural　zeolite　deposits,　were　used　to　produce　molecular　sieves　through　a　direct　alkali　dissolution-hydrothermal　crystallization　synthesis　process.　Their　respective　ammonia　nitrogen　adsorption　properties　were　investigated.　Using　XRF,　XRD　and　other　material　characterization　methods,　the　differences　in　element　composition　and　mineral　content　of　the　four　natural　zeolites　were　compared　and　analyzed.　The　influence　of　material　characteristics　of　natural　zeolites　on　the　adsorption　performance　of　their　synthetic　products　was　examined　based　on　the　crystal　structure,　elemental　composition　and　surface　morphology　of　the　synthetic　products.　The　results　illustrated　that　compared　with　raw　zeolite　materials,　the　ammonia　nitrogen　adsorption　performance　of　the　four　synthetic　products　was　significantly　improved,　among　which　the　synthetic　products　from　zeolite　C　and　A　had　relatively　higher　adsorption　capacity,　all　reaching　more　than　15mg/g.　A　positive　correlation　existed　between　the　synthetic　product＇s　adsorption　performance　and　its　raw　zeolite　material＇s　alkali-soluble　silicon　dissolution　amount.　The　alkali-soluble　silicon　mainly　came　from　the　cristobalite,　clinoptilolite,　mordenite,　feldspar　and　other　mineral　components　in　the　natural　zeolite　raw　material,　while　the　quartz　with　stable　structure　was　not　easy　to　be　activated　and　utilized　by　alkali　dissolution.　The　synthetic　product　was　a　mixture　containing　different　types　of　molecular　sieves　and　other　mineral　components.　Zeolites　C　and　A　with　high　amount　of　alkali-soluble　silica　were　synthesized　into　type　A　and　type　X　molecular　sieves　which　had　good　ammonia　nitrogen　adsorption　performance.　The　synthetic　products　of　zeolites　B　and　D　were　mainly　sodalite　molecular　sieves　with　pore　diameter　smaller　than　the　particle　size　of　ammonium　ion,　and　thus　they　had　poor　adsorption　performance.　Therefore,　it　is　better　to　select　raw　zeolite　materials　with　less　quartz　mineral　content　and　high　proportion　of　alkali-soluble　minerals　to　produce　synthetic　molecular　sieves　for　sewage　denitrification.　©　2021,　Editorial　Board　of　China　Environmental　Science.　All　right　reserved.