Abstract
Natural and synthetic zeolites are well-known materials sharing a wide range of applications, such as adsorbents, ion exchange, and catalysts. However, synthetic zeolites are more widely used, due to several limitations of natural zeolites, such as the presence of impurities and diverse compositions. In this study, rice husk silica (97.86% purity) and aluminum hydroxide were utilized for the preparation of ZSM-5, to study the effect of crystallization time on the physical characteristics and catalytic activity in the transesterification of Ricinus communis oil. The raw materials, with molar ratio of SiO2:0.025Al2O3:0.165Na2O:25H2O, were subjected to crystallization at 180 °C for 48, 72, 96, and 120 h, completed by 6 h calcination at 600 °C. The formation of ZSM-5 was demonstrated by FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques, confirmed that the formation of ZSM-5 had taken place at 48 h crystallization, with no significant change with prolonged time. The PSA indicates the existence of two clusters of particles, and the BET confirmed the existence of the zeolites as porous materials, with the sample prepared with crystallization time of 96 h had the largest surface area and smallest pore diameter. This particular sample exhibited the highest activity, resulting in 96% conversion of Ricinus communis oil.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.