SYNTHESIS OF HIERARCHICAL BETA ZEOLITE USING SOLVENT-FREE METHOD FOR CONVERSION OF GLYCEROL INTO GASOLINE

• Main Author: Aprialdi, Faisal
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/81325
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The current biodiesel production has resulted in an abundance of glycerol as a by product. However, this abundance has not been followed by its maximum utilization. One of the great potentials in the utilization of glycerol is to convert it into gasoline through catalytic activity. A potential catalyst for glycerol conversion is zeolite. Among the many types of zeolites that exist, beta zeolites have great potential as catalysts. This is due to the fact that beta zeolite has a pore structure with a three-dimensional architecture composed of 12-ring channel intersections, high thermal and hydrothermal stability, unique framework selectivity with a large surface area, and adjustable acidity. However, there is a limitation on the intrinsic microporous channels in zeolite beta that causes limitations in diffusion. To overcome this limitation, it is necessary to modify the zeolite into a hierarchical porous structure in which the zeolite not only possesses micropores but also has mesopores or macropores. This modification improves the diffusion and accessibility of catalytic sites. This study synthesized a hierarchical porous beta zeolite catalyst for the conversion of glycerol to gasoline. The synthesis was carried out by a solvent-free method and involved the variation of secondary templates in the form of Na2CO3, PEG4000, and CTAB. This research is divided into three stages: the synthesis of hierarchical porous beta zeolite by solvent-free method, the characterization of beta zeolite, and the testing of the catalytic activity of beta zeolite. The results of FTIR and XRD analyses demonstrated the successful synthesis of beta zeolite via a solvent-free method. The incorporation of a secondary template resulted in alterations to the zeolite's nature. These changes included a reduction in the relative crystallinity. Based on the results of N2 adsorption desorption, zeolites experienced an increase in BET surface area and total volume also increased except for the sample HBeta-NC. The acidity of the zeolite resulted in a decrease in the total acid value, except for the sample HBeta-NC. Catalytic testing for gasoline conversion demonstrated that the order of liquid product yield was HBeta-NC > Beta > HBeta-PEG > HBeta-CTAB, while the order of normalized gasoline yield was HBeta-PEG > Beta > HBeta-CTAB > HBeta-NC. Based on the catalytic performance, it can be seen that the influential zeolite parameters are textural properties and acidity.