Synthesis and Metal Phases Characterization of Mordenite Supported Copper Catalysts

Abstract

Three catalysts were synthesized by the impregnation method using copper as an active metal and mordenite as a support material. The metal loading was set at 0, 4 and 8 %wt, respectively. The used copper salt solutions were collected as filtrate and analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to predict the metal content was successfully loaded onto mordenite. For a further step, catalysts are activated through the calcination and reduction process. The metal content was further confirmed by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and the results were not much different compared to AAS analysis. It was obtained that copper metals were successfully impregnated on the catalyst as 3.74 %wt for Cu/MOR 4 and 5.52 %wt for Cu/MOR 8. Meanwhile, the catalysts were also characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and then followed by match with a mordenite standard diffractogram. Further diffractogram analysis was carried out by the Le Bail method to get semi-quantitative data of metal phases on catalysts. Mordenite phase was consistently obtained as the main content of all catalysts, over 99%. The copper phase at Cu/MOR 4 catalyst was consisted of Cu, Cu(OH)2 and Cu2O. In contrast, Cu/MOR 8 catalysts showed no Cu(OH)2 phase on it, but Cu and Cu2O still found.