Synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolites using hexamethylene imine as a template: Effect of microwave aging

• Valuable ZSM-5 zeolite can be produced with hexamethylene imine as template.
• Microwave-aging is essential for the synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite.
• The obtained ZSM-5 is similar to a commercial ZSM-5 in acidity/porosity.
• The ZSM-5 synthesized with hexamethylene imine can be used in acid catalyses.

Zeolite ZSM-5 can be synthesized from gels containing hexamethylene imine (HMI) as an inexpensive template under adequate conditions. Microwave aging under suitable conditions is essential for the crystallization of ZSM-5 from gels containing HMI. Moreover, adequate reaction conditions (such as Al2O3/SiO2, HMI/SiO2 and H2O/SiO2 ratios, pHs, reaction times and so on) for ZSM-5 syntheses are also suggested. The obtained ZSM-5, after ion exchange to the proton form, can be applied in acid-catalyzed reactions because the acidity and surface area of the zeolite are similar to those of commercial ZSM-5 zeolite. For example, the H-ZSM-5 can be applied in the dehydration of bioalcohols such as ethanol and n-butanol into olefins or aromatics, quite similar to a commercial H-ZSM-5 zeolite.

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