Volume 11 Issue 4 ( December 2024)

Zeolite Socony Mobile-5 (ZSM-5) is a catalyst commonly used for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol. Traditionally, ZSM-5 is produced using costly and environmentally harmful organic templates. This study aimed to develop a more cost- effective and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing ZSM-5 catalysts without templates. The catalyst was synthesized from natural zeolite and rice husk ash without a template by adding ZSM-5 seeds via a hydrothermal process. The crystallization times during the hydrothermal process were 24, 72, and 144 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of a distinct peak for the synthesized ZSM-5 catalyst, indicating a successful synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray ( EDX) characterization revealed a hexagonal structure and a Si/Al ratio of 15.963, typical of ZSM-5. Surface area analysis (SAA) showed that the surface areas of the ZSM- 5 catalysts were 47.667 m²/g after 24 h, 71.158 m²/g after 72 h, and 74.760 m²/g after 144 h, indicating that longer crystallization times resulted in a larger surface area. In methanol production tests, the ZSM-5(24 h), ZSM-5(72 h), and ZSM-5(144 h) catalysts achieved methanol concentrations of 9.05%, 10.34%, and 18.15%, respectively. These results suggest that crystallization time significantly affects both the surface area and catalytic performance of ZSM-5.

Keywords: methane conversion; nature based-ZSM-5; non-template; zeolite