#TITLE_ALTERNATIVE#

• Main Author: AGUSTIN (NIM 23005016), YESSI
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/9667
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

In order to increase the catalytic activities, a natural montmorillonite clay has been modified. The modification was carried out in two different methods, i.e. acidification in concentrated sulphuric acid solution and pillarization with Keggin ion. The existing samples (montmorillonite, H-montmorillonite and PILC-montmorillonite) were then analyzed by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), surface area analysis known as BET analysis, and acidity analysis based on titrimetry method. The X-Ray diffractograms indicated no significant difference found between those three different samples. However, from the SEM images, it was clearly observed that the aggregates of montmorillonite decreased by both types of modification. Furthermore, a relative homogeneous aggregation showed by H-montmorllonite SEM image implied the acid delaminating occurred homogeneously. Surface area determination was carried out by using BET analysis. This analysis results in increasing of the surface area of montmorillonite after the acid treatment as well as the pillarization. This result was relevant to that showed by the SEM image. However, the surface area achieved by the pillarization which was too low compared to other literatures indicated that only a part of the existing montmorilonite was successfully pillared. It also explained the absent of peak shift at 2θ less than 100 in the PILC-montmorillonite diffractogram. The acidity analysis indicated that acid treatment can increase the montmorillonite acidity more than twice, while no significant difference obtained from PILC-montmorillonite. The increase of acidity and or surface area in modified montmorillonites caused the increase of their catalytic activity. The highest increment was achieved by H-montmorillonite for about 12 % compared to unmodified montmorilonite. However, the conversion achieved by modified montmorillonites was relatively lower than sulphuric acid catalyst. This fact is due to the steric effect in microphores of montmorillonite and only Bronsted acids have contribution in esterification catalysis.