An ambient pressure method for synthesizing NaY zeolite

Zeolites are vital industrial materials applied widely in the field of heterogeneous catalysis . Porous zeolites are essentially synthesized in the presence of soft or hard templates in processes such as hydrothermal, solvothermal, and ionothermal synthesis. Herein, we demonstrated a facile ambient pressure technique to synthesize NaY zeolite using a glass tube as a reactor and a fluid sealant to create a physical barrier between the reactor contents and the atmosphere. The synthesized zeolite Y was characterized by XRD , SEM, TEM , UV-Raman, N 2 sorption , MAS NMR, and XRF spectroscopy . In comparison to the traditional hydrothermal synthesis routes, the avoidance of high-pressure synthesis apparatus not only reduces safety risks but also significantly improves the yield of zeolite products with a crystallinity of 52% and Si/Al = 3.51. Furthermore, the process is leaner, efficient, and reduces costs. Optimum conditions realized for the synthesis of highly crystalline zeolite Y were 90 °C and 18 h crystallization temperature and period respectively, using 1-dodecanol as a sealant. Subsequently, PEG6000 emerged the best among organic templates investigated to improve porosity while maintaining high crystallinity of the zeolite.