Alteration of acidity and porosity of Beta zeolite using fibrous silica for light olefin production

¹ Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
² Centre of Hydrogen Energy, Institute of Future Energy, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: myusuf@utm.my

Abstract

Traditional olefin production heavily depends on fossil fuels, which are a significant contributor to environmental issues. Methanol to olefin (MTO) is among non-fossil fuel alternatives to produce olefinic products from abundant resources, such as biomass, coal, and natural gas. Nevertheless, the catalytic reaction of MTO over commercial zeolite catalysts is hindered by their low activity, mainly due to the micropore structure and excessive acidity within the zeolite. Herein, Beta zeolite with fibrous silica structure was successfully synthesized via the microemulsion and Beta seed-assisted method. The catalysts were characterized using FESEM, N₂ physisorption, and ammonia-TPD. FESEM results revealed a well-ordered spherical morphology of HFBETA with uniform particle size distribution. In surface analysis, the HFBETA exhibits higher BET surface area and mesopore volume compared to commercial HBETA by 35% and 86%, respectively. The introduction of fibrous silica within the Beta structure led to a significant drop in the acidity of the catalyst, as shown in ammonia-TPD results. These led to superior catalytic performance of HFBETA in the MTO process.